Glorious Goodwood Service – Day 1

Mon, Jul 26, 2010

by Neil Hubbard

With Ian away enjoying a well earned break I step into the breach this week for what is always a top quality week of action from arguably the world’s most picturesque racecourse.

2.10 Goodwood
Start as we mean to go on, a fiendishly difficult handicap featuring plenty of possible sorts. It is well documented how well Mark Johnston does with his runners at the track so Tartan Gigha, Tartan Gunna and SUBMARINER must be our first ports of call. The later has been beaten on both his last two starts but those came over 12f and the drop back to 10f here is sure to suit. He is just 3lbs higher than his last win and could easily return to the winner’s enclosure. T. Gunna was victorious on his penultimate start but was comfortably held at Sandown next time. With this in mind T. Gigha may be the best of the pair but after winning competitive handicaps at Newmarket and Epsom already this year his marked has jumped to 103 and he too has been well held in both his last two starts. AUSTRALIA DAY was last seen romping away with the Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen but prior to that his last two outings on the flat were very solid. A 4th at Royal Ascot was followed by a 2nd at Sandown and with his handicap mark remaining unchanged he looks sure to get in the money once again. Of the remainder, I always like Godolphin runners in handicaps and on this occasion I actually like the one that Frankie has elected to not ride, namely ROMAN REPUBLIC. He gets the leg up on Yamal but Alan Munro’s mount is a previous course and distance winner and although he failed to sparkle in Dubai on the Tapeta surface the return to turf should suit and although this is his first start since March he does have a history of going well fresh. Changing The Guard catches the eye at the foot of the handicap off just 7st 13lb under man of the moment Paul Hanagan while the Michael Jarvis trained Almiqdaad is another interesting alternative.

2.45 Goodwood
This looks an absolute cracker and the St Leger market will no doubt be shaken up by the result. My personal fancy for the final classic of the season is THEOLOGY and Jeremy Noseda’s colt comes here after being just touched off in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. As a previous winner round here he knows what it takes to get his head in front on the track and a big run looks on the cards. It is interesting that connections also elect to run Rebel Soldier here as his mark of 102 surely gives him some further scope down the handicap route. He routed a decent field at York on his last start and so connections clearly think he is far better than we have shown thus far. Mahmood Al Zarooni is also double handed, thanks to Simon De Montfort (non-runner) and Film Score, with the former looking the best. He actually arrives here unbeaten for the year but this will be his first run on quick ground. The wonderfully progressive Dandino has his first try in Group company after starting his season by winning a Redcar maiden. He has already become one of the success stories of the season and it would be a brave man who ruled out a further step up the ladder. Circumvent and Corsica were both successful at the July meeting and both are not without hope here, a comment which could also be aimed at John Gosden’s Royal Ascot runner-up Arctic Cosmos. In summary I think this is a race to watch and enjoy rather than get involved in but I will be hoping that Theology runs a big race with a date at Doncaster in the back of my mind.

3.25 Goodwood
Another absorbing contest is on the cards. Lord Shanakill and AIR CHIEF MARSHALL appear to have rejuvenated by a drop in class on their last starts and with their confidence now seemingly restored it will be interesting to see how they fair. With three-year-olds having won each of the last three renewals of this Aidan O’Brien’s runner could be perfectly placed to extend that sequence. In last year’s race Finjann got the better of Balthazaar’s Gift but I can see the runner-up that day reversing that form off the back of some very encouraging displays in Group 1 sprints this term. For my money, RED JAZZ’s busy start to the season looked to have caught up with him at Newmarket last time but in retrospect his ¾ of a length defeat by Premio Loco was a very good run, especially when you consider that one went on to Group 2 glory next time. It is very difficult to see Barry Hills’ runner out the frame. French raider DALGHAR is one that I am most interested in. Although he got rather warm in the preliminaries at Royal Ascot when he was last over here he still produced a very solid effort to be beaten just over 6 lengths behind Goldikova. I can see him running a big race returned to 7f.

4.00 Goodwood
This race is normally won by a very decent animal and there have been plenty of bullish reports from the Richard Hannon yard about ZEBEDEE. Although his price is unlikely to set the pulse racing he looks one for the more likely sorts for a race that is all about speed. The fact he was one of the last off the bridle in the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot suggests he will be right at home in this test, a fact highlighted by his Listed win at Sandown at the start of the month. The one to beat. Interestingly, John Best’s Stone Of Folca actually finished in front of Zebedee at the Royal meeting (in 4th) and having also filled that same position in the Windsor Castle Stakes two days previous he should go close. BOLD BIDDER showed plenty of early dash in the Weatherbys Super Sprint on her last outing and deservedly hung on for second. She raced off a feather weight that day but her blistering early speed should see get involved here. Of the remainder, the Richard Fahey trained Mayson easily landed the odds in his maiden at Hamilton last month and if showing any natural improvement from that run should run a nice race.

4.35 Goodwood
Mujood loves it round here, as his five course wins show. He has been rather off the boil of late but a return to his favourite track could easily spark him back to life and I wouldn’t be quick to rule him out. In what looks a rather open, and ultimately trappy, handicap the most obvious candidate appears to be Luca Cumani’s START RIGHT. Although he seemed a real pain at the start last time I was impressed with the way he knuckled down and he passed the post a comfortable winner in the end. A 4lb rise for that success looks perfectly reasonable and if he builds upon his recent win then he could take all the beating. My Gacho has dropped to a winnable looking mark and if things fall right for him shouldn’t be far away. MY KINGDOM caught the eye last time as he seemed very unlucky to not finish closer than 5th. He steps up to 1m for just the second time in this event but has winning form at the track and merits a place on the shortlist.

5.05 Goodwood
Mark Johnston has won this twice in the last five years and GOLDEN HINE looks an obvious one to improve that record. One of only five in the field with previous experience, he ran with plenty of encouragement to finish 4th at Hamilton on his debut and with that run under his belt should take the beating. A Hannon two-year-old automatically merits respect so Big Issue gets that treatment here but I’m more interested by Dandy Nicholls’ MACHO MUSIC. The son of Camacho represents a stable that can boast a 45% strike rate with its juveniles at Goodwood in the last five years and a level stakes profit of £49.

5.40 Goodwood
ANHAR impressed me when scoring at Haydock last time and a 4lb rise is fair. He is equipped with a visor for the first time and I can understand why has he ran around a bit for Ted Durcan that day, although it was probably down to greenness more than anything seeing as it was just his fourth career start. He looks sure to have more to offer. Chink Of Light has acquitted himself well since stepping up to handicap company and should go well, along with recent course winner Woolfall Treasure, who is another fitted with a visor, but for me I worry about him being up to winning against such decent opposition. Martyr had Bow To No One back in second when the pair clashed at Ascot last time and both can be fancied to run well, especially the former despite a 3lb higher mark. This drop in trip should suit strong traveller Sentry Duty but he has been well beaten in his last three runs on the flat while the step up in trip should suit Jedi. However the danger to the selection could be provided by the fast improving EMERGING ARTIST. He only saw the race track for the first time last month but has quickly developed into a useful sort. He justified favouritism in good style at Newbury on his last start and it is difficult to get a handle on just how good he could be.