Glorious Goodwood Day 4 Selections

It was one of those days at Goodwood today with none of my selections hitting the frame. Morning Suit was never travelling and while at one stage he looked like challenging he finished well beaten. Diamonds Pour Moi travelled strongly but the tank emptied a furlong out and she was beaten a long way. It was a similar story with Green Power, though he did show a fair amount of promise and could benefit from a drop back in trip.

Tim Easterby has been in superb form in recent weeks.

Sobetsu ran a cracker in the Nassau, attempting to make most and finishing a creditable 3rd behind the impressive winner Winter. The O’Brien filly is a classy operator and she ploughed through the mud without any problems. Jedi Master also ran a cracking race, just missing out on a place by a head and the win by less than a length. If he didn’t get trapped wide he may have got up. Poet’s Society ran a stinking race in the unlucky last, so hopefully we can get some of our money back on Day 4.

RACE 1

Day 4 gets under way with the Group 3 Glorious Stakes and the one to be on here is Second Step. Soft ground form is at a premium in this race and Roger Charlton’s 6yo son of Dalakhani has shown he can handle an ease on a few occasions. His last three wins have come on good or better, but he was a listed winner on yielding at the Curragh back in 2014 and he won his maiden on good to soft. He has run well on all three outings this season, 3rd in a Group 3 on his reappearance at Newbury and scoring in a listed race over today’s course and distance on his next start.

He found only Lord Yeats, who re-opposes here, too good at Newmarket last time in another listed event (12f gd/sft) and a 2lb pull in the weights should enable him to reverse that form. Charlton has his string in good form (2 wins 4 places last 13 runners) and Jamie Spencer has been on board for his last two wins. He has strong course form, he should handle the ground and at odds of 6/1 Second Step is capable of going very close.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: SECOND STEP WIN @ 6/1

RACE 2

Another Group 3 and I am very sweet on the chances of Make Time in this contest. David Menuisier’s son of Makfi is a horse I have followed since his debut and I have always seen him as Group class. He was narrowly beaten on debut but he made no mistake on his next start at Salisbury, demolishing a decent field over 7f on soft ground.

I backed him and tipped him ante-post for the Greenham but he ran a very disappointing race. However, Menuisier’s horses were sick at the time and he is better judged on his last run when hosing up in a handicap at Sandown off a mark of 91. His rating of 103 leaves him with a bit to find on the figures, but he is proven on soft unlike the majority of his rivals and I think he can win this before going on to bigger and better things in the future.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: MAKE TIME WIN @ 7/2

RACE 3

With 19 runners going to post luck will be required in this race, and one horse that deserves a break is the Tim Easterby trained One Word More. Easterby has been firing in the winners in recent weeks and this fella was only beaten 4L in this race last year off a mark of 99 and with a clear run he may well have won. He is running off a 6lb lower mark today and he will handle the soft ground.

This quirky customer isn’t the easiest of rides and he tends to race lazily at times before coming to life in the closing stages and finishing fast. His last win came all the way back in April 2015 (off 92), but he has plenty of placed efforts off much higher marks. He seems to be best suited by big fields, and if he gets a bit of luck in running he is capable of going very close at odds of 33/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: ONE WORD MORE E/W @ 33/1

RACE 4, 5 AND 6

I have covered these three races for Mybettingbonus and you can check my fancies by clicking here.

RACE 7

The one I like at a big price here is the David O’Meara trained 3yo son of Pivotal Shymkent. It is no secret that Pivotal’s offspring are usually effective on a softer surface and this gelding has already shown he relishes a bit of cut. He prevailed by the narrowest of margins at Carlisle the only time he has encountered soft ground (11f soft) and his maiden win came on good so he won’t mind if it dries out a touch.

Shymkent was last sighted in a red hot handicap at Royal Ascot and he was far from disgraced in 10th behind Atty Perse. The good to firm ground was likely too quick for him that day and he has been eased in the handicap to a mark of 90. His win at Carlisle came off just 4lb lower so he should be able to get competitive and the 3rd and 4th from that race have both won since. With trip and ground to suit and a decent draw in stall 4, Shymkent is the each way suggestion at odds of 20/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: SHYMKENT E/W @ 20/1