Well, what a frustrating day that was…Second Step found just
one too good in the opener, keeping on well but not well enough for the win.
Make Time ran a cracking race in the Thoroughbred Stakes but he had to play
second fiddle to the favourite. I had a nice ante-post bet on him at 16/1 so
although I was happy to take a place I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t
win it. I still firmly believe that Make Time is capable of winning stakes
races and a different style of track might be the answer.
 |
| David Griffiths does well at Goodwood. |
One Word More ran a cracker to grab 5th but yet again he was
short of room and it could have been so much better (and to rub salt into my
wounds he cost me the placepot). Profitable bumped into a high class sprinter
in Battaash and the Charlie Hills horse looks top notch. Gift In Time ran a nice
enough race to finish 3rd and Shymkent got no luck in running in the unlucky
last, staying on well when the gaps came for 4th. We are due a change of luck
so hopefully we get a winner or two on the final day.
RACE 1
The opener on the final day of Glorious Goodwood is the consolation
race for the Stewards’ Cup and it looks a very tricky puzzle to solve with 20
horses due to go to post. As we saw yesterday an inside draw has proved to be a
huge positive and I think Lucky Beggar can go well here from a decent pitch in
stall 7. David Griffiths is a trainer that has his string in good form and this
7yo son of Verglas can bounce back from a couple of below par efforts on quick
ground.
Lucky Beggar was once rated as high as 107 when trained by
Charlie Hills but he had a long spell in the doldrums and in the summer of 2016
he was sold and moved to the David Griffiths yard. It didn’t take the promising
trainer long to turn his fortunes around and he has already won two races with
him this season, handicaps at Wetherby (5.5f gd off 76) and Catterick (6f gd/fm
off 83).
He ran really well at Chester on two occasions off 87 and 86
on easy ground in June and he won’t mind the conditions at Goodwood. He ran a
cracking race on his only previous visit to the track in July 2015 off a mark
of 99, beaten 5L from a very wide draw in stall 15. He is better drawn here and
he has plenty of early speed so if he gets a good start I think he can make a
bold bid for Silvestre de Sousa, who has won on one of his two previous rides
for Griffiths.
STEVOS’ SELECTION:
LUCKY BEGGAR E/W @ 22/1
RACE 2
Another big field with 14 horses going to post but over a
trip of 1m 6f the draw might not be massively important. Felix Mendelssohn hasn’t
been handed the best of starting positions in stall 7 but Joseph O’Brien’s 6yo
son of Galileo looks ready for the step up to 14f after a fast finish over 12f
on yielding ground at the Curragh last time. That was just his 2nd run for O’Brien
since leaving David Simcock and it was a big step up from his poor first run
over timber.
His only win from 11 starts came on his second run at Navan
when scoring in a 12f maiden on yielding ground. Felix Mendelssohn races off
the same mark of 93 as at the Curragh last time and with that run under his
belt he should fit and ready to rock. Fran Berry looks a good jockey booking
and at odds of 12/1 Felix Mendelssohn looks well worth chancing each way.
STEVOS’ SELECTION:
FELIX MENDELSSOHN E/W @ 12/1
RACE 3
Few jockeys are riding with more confidence than Ryan Moore
at the moment and he looks to have outstanding claims on the favourite Crystal
Ocean. However, I think it might be worth chancing one at a bigger price and
Across Dubai looks an interesting runner for William Haggas and Pat Cosgrave.
This 3yo son of Cape Cross is totally unexposed and he looked a talented horse
when winning a 10f handicap at Haydock last time out off a mark of 85 on good
to firm.
He will be encountering very different ground today and he
is markedly up in class, but his dam’s half sisters Laaheb and Ruwaiyan (both by Cape Cross) were
effective on soft ground so there is every chance he will handle it. It is a
big step up in grade to Group 3 company, but his shrewd trainer Mr Haggas isn’t
usually one to tilt at windmills and I think Across Dubai can outrun his
generous odds of 12/1.
STEVOS’ SELECTION:
ACROSS DUBAI E/W @ 12/1
RACE 4
This is a race I have covered for Mybettingbonus and you can
find out what I fancy by clicking here.
RACE 5
Not a race I will be having a bet in and one to watch with a
view to the future.
RACE 6
With only 7 horses going to post I won’t be going big on this
7f handicap. If I was forced to have a bet I would probably chance the bottom
weight Colonel Frank. He is a course and distance winner, he is by Dutch Art so
he should handle the ground and Ed Walker has had three winners in the past
fortnight. He is a tentative each way selection for very small stakes.
STEVOS’ SELECTION:
COLONEL FRANK E/W @ 14/1
RACE 7
A devilishly difficult handicap to close the card on the
final day of Glorious Goodwood and a good draw will be pivotal in this 9f
handicap. Jufn is well drawn in stall 3 and he could be set for a big run for
John Butler and Tim Clark. He needs to bounce back from a poor effort last time
but he got racing far too soon that day and he will hopefully get to dictate
from front in this contest.
He won a shade comfortably on his penultimate start off 75
and he is racing off just 4lb higher here. This is admittedly a much tougher
contest but this 4yo son of Nayef is lightly raced for his age and there could
be more to come. He ran a nice race on soft in a first time hood at Leicester
three runs back and if Clark can get his fractions right he could outrun his
odds of 33/1.
STEVOS’ SELECTION:
JUFN E/W @ 33/1
No comments:
Post a Comment