Glorious Goodwood | Horse Racing Free Tips

Nassau Anchors Goodwood Festival on Thursday

It is the turn of the fillies and mares on Thursday, with the G1 Qatar Nassau S. headlining a fascinating third day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. It features a clash between two fillies whose limits are far from set at present, with Shadwell’s Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) taking on the year-younger Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The former steps up from a mile for the first time, having captured the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot June 16 and G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket July 10 in the manner of a filly that will improve for a step up to this 10-furlong trip. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold said, “She’s been an absolute star this year–it’s lovely to see her not only fulfil the potential, but exceed what we hoped. We were hoping to make her a stakes winner and it’s been a real thrill. Stepping up in trip now will be interesting, but everyone who has ridden her has always felt she would get it. Obviously you never know for sure until they try, but I’m very hopeful she will stay it–the way she has always finished off her races.”

Fancy Blue was runner-up to Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh June 13 prior to outbattling Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and that rival in Chantilly’s G1 Prix de Diane over 10 1/2 furlongs July 5. While there were four fillies involved in a blanket finish to that Classic, it looked every bit a top-class renewal and trainer Donnacha O’Brien is in accord. “In a tight finish between four horses you can usually mark it down a bit, but they were definitely the right horses involved that day and they pulled clear of the rest of the field, so it looks like very strong form,” he said. “Fancy Blue is very genuine, tries hard and takes her work well,” he added. “She’s a very uncomplicated and talented filly who relaxes and is able to quicken. She gets a mile and a quarter very well and is closely related to High Chaparral, so there’s plenty of stamina in her pedigree and she will probably get a mile and a half in time. There are a great bunch of fillies around at the moment,” Donnacha added. “Among the 3-year-olds you have Love, who looks special, and then of course you’ve got Enable and Magical and a few of the those turning up at Goodwood this week, including ours.”

Last year’s winner Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) comes back with identical race conditions to suit, but possibly faces tougher opposition and has to reverse the form of the G1 Eclipse S. with the similarly-accomplished international mare Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), having finished 1 1/4 lengths behind that Ballydoyle rival when fifth in the July 5 Sandown feature. Oisin Murphy is again on board and commented, “I think she has improved since her last race and August is always her favourite season. We tried the Eclipse, because Sandown has a long straight and with the COVID situation it has been a little bit tricky to train the horses. We found there that she might struggle with the uphill, now we are heading to the Nassau S. with the long straight and flat course. We understand the great importance of the race, we have seen Midday win three times and we are the only horse to have a chance to win twice in a row.”

Aidan O’Brien has booked Frankie Dettori for Magic Wand, who was electric when taking the Curragh’s G2 Lanwades Stud S., or Ridgewood Pearl, over a mile June 13. “She’s a lovely filly who takes everything in her stride and this looks a nice race for her in the middle of the summer,” the Ballydoyle handler said. “She’s very straightforward and we’re very happy with her.”

Earlier on the card, the G2 Qatar Richmond S. and G2 John Pearce Racing Gordon S. provide ideal build-up to the main event with the Gordon seeing the first post-Derby run of Bjorn Nielsen’s English King (GB) (Camelot {GB}). A lot went against the Ed Walker trainee when fifth in Epsom’s July 4 blue riband, but his ability to handle difficult terrain is well and truly proven having won the June 5 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial and he has quickening ground conditions to aid his cause further. “He’s in great form. The ground should suit, he should handle the track and he hasn’t missed a beat since Epsom,” Walker said. “We will see how it goes at Goodwood, but we would be hoping to go for something like the [G1] Grand Prix de Paris. It is shaping into a great race, but everything seems to be this year because it has all been condensed. Hopefully he can prove to us he deserves to take on the best, but we will certainly learn a bit more this week.”

Re-opposing English King is Ahmad Al Shaikh’s Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}), who was closest to Epsom’s runaway winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when 5 1/2 lengths adrift and he has course form having won the Listed Cocked Hat S. over 11 furlongs June 14. “The course and the drying ground should suit him and all being well, a reproduction of his Epsom form should give him every chance,” trainer Andrew Balding said. Also coming back from the Derby is ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mogul (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was sixth behind his ebullient stablemate with Ryan Moore picking him. Aidan O’Brien said, “He seems to have come out of the Derby well and we’ve been very happy with him since. He’s a big, strong, powerful horse who is made like a miler and he’s not the easiest to get fit. He carries weight and we’re just trying to get it off him. We think racing is going to bring out the best in him. We think he gets a mile and a half, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to go back in trip.”

In the Richmond, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) is for once without The Queen’s Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) for company and looks for compensation for two runner-up efforts behind that peer in the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle S. June 17 and G2 July S. over this six-furlong trip at Newmarket July 9. Fourth in the July was Shadwell’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who had previously finished runner-up in Royal Ascot’s G2 Coventry S. June 20 when another TDN Rising Star Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was only eighth as the 5-2 favourite.

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A Sussex to Savour on Wednesday

With the delayed 2020 turf season now enjoying some kind of equilibrium, the pick of the season’s milers line up for one of the first category-defining moments in Wednesday’s G1 Qatar Sussex S. Of the older brigade, last year’s G1 St James’s Palace S. and G1 Prix du Moulin hero Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is an outsider if the betting is to believed at present despite returning to add the June 16 G1 Queen Anne S. to his tally. Out of luck in the Queen Anne but highly impressive in Ascot’s G2 Summer Mile July 11, Shadwell’s Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) has put himself front and centre, while the 3-year-olds include the 2000 Guineas heroes Siskin (First Defence) and Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) and the promising Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). This is a far cry from some of the weaker editions of recent times and puts the Goodwood feature back on centre stage where it belongs.

With no pacemaker in the field, it is likely that one of Ballydoyle’s Circus Maximus and Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and possibly both will go forward from the outset. The former is used to forcing a battle, having denied Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a thriller at the Royal meeting last time, and his best chance will be to try and engage some way out and draw the sting from the likes of Siskin and Mohaather. Kameko, who stayed on past Wichita to take the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket June 6, is another who will probably not be ridden for pace in what is a fascinating tactical conundrum.

Kameko’s trainer Andrew Balding has no fears about any lasting effects of his effort when fourth in the July 4 G1 Epsom Derby and has spoken about the constitution of Qatar Racing’s flagbearer on several occasions. Being that this provides an automatic entry into the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile, connections are keen to place a flag in that particular territory. “He won a Guineas over a mile, so it was always the intention to come back down in trip after the Derby,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it and I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s a very strong field, as it should be for one of the championship races of the summer.”

Oisin Murphy has the responsibility of weighing up tactics, but there are very few among his profession better-placed than him to do so. “I’m drawn in stall two next to Siskin, with Mohaather near in four as well. Circus Maximus normally goes forward and Aidan O’Brien could have the first three ‘in the run’ with Wichita normally forwardly-placed and Vatican City a strong stayer at the trip,” he summarised in his pre-race analysis. “This time of year is a good time to take on the older horses, given the weight allowance, and we’ll see what happens.”

Mohaather proved when beating San Donato (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by 3 3/4 lengths in the Summer Mile that he stays a mile well and has retained all the class that trainer Marcus Tregoning hoped he would despite setbacks along the way. He is awaiting the contest with relish. “It’s not a biggish field and hopefully he’ll run very well,” he said. “In all honesty, it was quite an easy race for him [at Ascot], as it turned out. He cantered the next day and we’ve been happy with him since. It’s a tough order, but I don’t think we could have Mohaather any better and he deserves a crack at it. I don’t see why he won’t handle the track, because he’s a neat horse who travels well and has plenty of speed. Hopefully he’s going to run a big race.”

Khalid Abdullah’s Siskin answered his own doubters when taking the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh June 12 and he had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over Vatican City on that occasion. As the only unbeaten runner in the race, another first to his name will see him enter cherished company and trainer Ger Lyons can only wait and watch now. “On ratings we have to improve, it’s as simple as that–we think he has, but we won’t know until he runs,” he said. “He has to improve to even get close to some of these horses. He is working well at home, but he does need to improve. I think he’ll cope with the track, because he’s pretty straightforward. He’s a very professional horse and if he gets beat it’s because he’s not good enough.”

Aidan O’Brien’s trio are outside the first three in the market, positions not normally customary for representatives of Ballydoyle, and all are there on merit. Of Vatican City, he said, “The Irish Guineas was a funnily-run race–it just became a bit of a mess. It was a little bit of a non-event for Vatican City, who was also having his first run of the year after two very soft runs last year. He’s been to Epsom since and ran respectably, even though he didn’t stay. We think going back to a mile will suit him much better.”

“Circus Maximus will only ever just win–Ryan will tell you, that’s the way he is,” he added. “He’s a very solid miler and a very tough but lazy horse. At home he’d do the same thing, no matter what you work with him, so we don’t really know what his limit is. Wichita is really maturing and he’s a massive horse, so with every month that goes by he’s progressing. Hopefully they’ll all run well. Everyone wants to see the best horses in the race, as it means a lot more to a horse if they win it. It’s exciting that they’re all there and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Even San Donato cannot be discounted, as he was running for the first time since finishing third in the 2019 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains last May when chasing home Mohaather at Ascot. “It’s been jolly frustrating that he’s only run twice in the last 20 months, but they’ve been two very good runs,” trainer Roger Varian said. “The winner won well at Ascot that day, but I was delighted with my guy–I thought it was a very good run against some solid group two opposition and I do anticipate him coming forward from that run.”

Goodwood’s only other black-type event is the G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb S., in which Michael O’Callaghan pitches the impressive July 22 Naas maiden scorer Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). He encounters Amo Racing Limited’s June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. fourth and July 9 Listed Marygate Fillies’ S. scorer Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) and several other fast and precocious types as he travels across the Irish sea. “He came out of Naas well and it was just like a piece of work for him really–it was no more than a half-speed and he quickened up very well,” O’Callaghan commented. “We’ve always thought a lot of him at home, so it was no surprise to see him win the way he did. I think he could be very, very good. He’s a very fast horse and he should he take a bit of beating, I hope.”

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Stradivarius Lines Up to Defend Goodwood Cup Title

Now that Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) has managed to establish unquestionable dominance over the older stayers, the popular chestnut has a feat of magnitude to pull off on Tuesday if he is to secure a record fourth renewal of the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup. That involves surrendering a 15-pound weight-for-age advantage to a G1 Irish Derby winner in Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who like Bjorn Nielsen’s star did three years ago comes here looking to exploit that anomaly. Weeks before Stradivarius upstaged Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in the 2017 edition, he had garnered the G2 Queen’s Vase and there is a symmetry in the fact that Santiago also captured that Royal Ascot contest en route to the June 27 Curragh Classic. With the long-established weight-for-age scale still generally unchallenged as an accurate measurement of relative maturity, this race will serve as one of the more thorough examinations of its logic and continued relevance in recent times.

Due to the lack of commercial value of these emotive staying races, it is rare that a Derby winner or a 3-year-old with significant class even turns up so the analysis of the effect of weight-for-age is limited. There are early indications that Santiago is set to go down the staying route permanently for a Ballydoyle stable already replete with leading middle-distance 3-year-olds and with the speed to win a mile-and-a-half Classic he is the best of his age to tackle this for a long time. Such a sizeable weight pull is almost debilitating, but there is an argument that Stradivarius still has his limitations unexposed and he is a true great based on his 10-length June 18 G1 Gold Cup romp.

John Gosden is well aware of the stiffness of the task at hand and said, “I think he has probably got one of the biggest challenges of his career. If it was run on Aug. 1 he would be giving Santiago 13 pounds, but because it is run at the end of July he is giving 15 pounds to a horse that won stylishly in the Queen’s Vase and went and won an Irish Derby. That is a big ask for Stradivarius–to give 15lb over two miles. Santiago looked pretty quick on his feet to me around Ascot and I think he will handle the track. We know our fellow handles it. We got 13 pounds from Big Orange when Stradivarius won his first Goodwood Cup, so we benefited that year but now the boot is on the other foot. That two pounds could make a difference over two miles if it is a tight finish, I will tell you.”

Aidan O’Brien has had this race in mind for Santiago since his Curragh success and he commented, “We always thought he might be a Cup horse, so we were very gentle with him last year. We thought the race in Ascot would suit him well. You have to have class to win an Irish Derby, but we always felt two miles would be within his grasp this year. We’ve had to be a bit gentle with him since the Curragh, but everything has gone very well. We just thought this would be a lovely race for him between the Irish Derby and the St Leger. Hopefully we’ll learn a lot about him and the horse will learn a lot as well.”

Preceding the Goodwood Cup is the G2 Qatar Lennox S., in which ‘TDN Rising Star’ Space Blues (Ire) headlines a three-strong Dubawi (Ire) challenge from the Charlie Appleby stable. Having beaten his re-opposing stablemate D’bai (Ire) in the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot at ParisLongchamp June 25, last year’s G1 Prix Jean Prat runner-up and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest third is perfectly poised for this test. D’bai has subsequently won a competitive Haydock conditions race over this seven-furlong trip July 17, while the G2 Hungerford S. and G2 Al Fahidi Fort winner Glorious Journey (GB) makes up a formidable trio for Godolphin.

“Space Blues heads to Goodwood following back-to-back wins and goes there in good shape. We feel that conditions will suit, together with the style of racing at Goodwood,” Appleby said. “Glorious Journey put up solid performances in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. He ran a decent enough race at Goodwood a couple of years ago and conditions should suit him as well. He has a penalty to defy, but this has always been his target. D’bai won at Haydock last time out and heads into this race in good order, although he has to turn around the form with Space Blues from their Longchamp run. He wasn’t beaten far in this race in 2018 and should enjoy the hustle and bustle of it again. Space Blues is the pick of the three on all evidence, but the other two aren’t without chances either.”

Away from the usual suspects, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Pierre Lapin (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}) is worth another chance to prove his comeback flop when last in Royal Ascot’s G1 Commonwealth Cup June 19. Last year’s G2 Mill Reef S. winner is the sole 3-year-old in the line-up and will provide a gauge as to their relative merit in this niche division.

Ballydoyle supply the favourite for the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. in their precious commodity Battleground (War Front), the son of Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who captured the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot June 18. Interestingly, he is still the only winner in Britain from this stable in 2020 despite running the likes of More Beautiful (War Front), Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Hudson River (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “He’s a big, powerful horse with a lovely mind,” Aidan O’Brien commented. “He’s very uncomplicated and mentally very easy–he hasn’t shown any issues yet, either mentally or physically. This will be another step in his life. Goodwood is obviously an unusual track, so hopefully he’ll cope with it and if he doesn’t, hopefully he’ll learn from it. Found was an unbelievable mare–so tough it was incredible. She was one filly who would lay her whole soul out for you every day and always the thing with her was not to let her do too much.”

Heading the opposition to Battleground is Russell Jones’s Devious Company (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who will be providing evidence as to the merit of his July 11 G2 Superlative S. conqueror Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Beaten three lengths by Godolphin’s promising juvenile in that Newmarket staging post also over this seven-furlong trip, he beat all else including Jaber Abdullah’s sixth-placed King Zain (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and trainer Tom Dascombe is hoping he can also make his mark here.

“He beat a lot of other good horses that day and I think Goodwood should be fine for him,” he said. “He has a bit of experience now, having had the three runs. I wouldn’t want to see too much rain, but I’m pretty confident he’d handle most ground. On distances, weights and measures I think we might have the beating of the favourite on form, but obviously Aidan O’Brien’s horses do tend to improve a lot. I think we go there with a good, solid chance and if the O’Brien horse is better than us then he’ll beat us–it’s as simple as that.”

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TurfTrax Utilised at Qatar Goodwood Festival

The upcoming Qatar Goodwood Festival will provide live weather data from TurfTrax, the Cambridgeshire-based technology company announced on Sunday. Developed in conjunction with a number of leading UK racecourses, the system provides horsemen, media and the general public with up-to-the minute GoingStick readings, going maps, irrigation and rails positions, as well as detailed live weather data comprising wind speed and direction, rainfall and soil moisture content via a dedicated webpage. This technology was previous used with success at Royal Ascot and Newmarket’s July Cup Festival.

“We have been delighted with the response to the live weather data app so far,” said TurfTrax Managing Director Mike Maher. “There certainly seems to be increasing demand for accurate data and the benefit of the TurfTrax weather system is that the information it measures comes direct from the course and not a weather station in the nearest town which could be several miles away.

“The information delivered by the app has been available to racecourses using the TurfTrax weather system for a number of years, but investment in the front-end now enables them to make the same information available to a wider group of stakeholders.”

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