Goodwood | Horse Racing Free Tips

All Eyes On Doncaster

It may be the least lauded of all the British festivals, but Doncaster's St Leger meeting is arguably the most varied with its cherished feature race still held in the highest regard by its many ardent fans. While Town Moor hosted day one of the festival on Wednesday, the relatively low-key action served mainly as a prologue or appetizer to the major upcoming events. Perhaps this week's jewels are the 2-year-old races, which lean more towards next year's Classics than those at Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood and York and one of which serves as the main focus on Thursday. Aside from the G2 Cazoo May Hill S. over a mile for the juvenile fillies, there is the G2 Coral Park Hill Fillies' S., or the “Fillies' St Leger” as it was always known, and also the small matter of the reappearance of Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

First Dance

What the May Hill always needs is an unbeaten filly apparently on the march to the Classics and Jaber Abdullah's Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) fits the bill, having mastered the subsequent G3 Prestige S. winner Fairy Cross (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Sandown's Listed Star S. July 21. The likes of Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) took this with similar profiles in recent times and this test will tell us which way the Charlie and Mark Johnston trainee will go. One who comes from the other end of the experience spectrum is the Tom Clover-trained Crystallium (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}), a granddaughter of the Lloyd-Webber's G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Crystal Music (Nureyev) who impressed on her winning debut over seven at Chelmsford Aug. 25. Bought for a mere 22,000gns at the Book 2 Sale, she was unsold at 28,000gns at the Craven Breeze-Up but has obviously made giant strides in the interim. “She is an exciting prospect and has shaped up well in her work at home,” Clover said. “I wouldn't run her on quick ground and I wouldn't run her on heavy ground, but I think she'll be fine on ground in between.” Also on the card is the £300,000 Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O S., where Amo Racing Limited's exciting filly Magical Sunset (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) is in action having beaten the subsequent TDN Rising Star Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in what could turn out to be an important Windsor maiden Aug. 15.

Success Breeds Success

It has been another mixed week for Shadwell, but few among Sheikha Hissa's organisation have any reason to complain about their overall racing fates in 2022 and the Park Hill sees another great opportunity for the blue-and-white. Last year's G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Eshaada (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) is back on her favoured easier ground again with another potentially profitable autumn ahead and holds a distinct class edge over all her exposed rivals here. The exception could be Woodford Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old filly River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), an unknown quantity who put the Belmont Gold Cup winner Loft (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in his place in the Aug. 20 Listed Chester S.

Welcome Back

For all that the current flat campaign can safely be categorised as above-average, the one star it has been missing all along is Godolphin's 2021 Derby and King George hero Adayar. Doncaster's 10-furlong Hilton Garden Inn Doncaster Conditions S. is the stage for his keenly-anticipated comeback, not the Coronation Cup or Prince of Wales's or King George as was expected at varying stages of the season, but for those who revelled in his barnstorming performances last summer it matters little. The fact is, the one horse who could light up the autumn like none other than Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is here and under race conditions once again. There is still time for the imposing bay to make a serious impact this year and this is more about how he goes through the race rather than whether he has the class to easily dispose of Mick and Janice Mariscotti's often-disappointing Derby fourth Masekela (Ire) (El Kabeir). Sir Henry Cecil brought a low-on-confidence Twice Over (GB) (Observatory) here in 2009 and two starts later he was winning the Champion S., so that is welcome precedent.

Making Waves At ParisLongchamp

At ParisLongchamp, the G3 Prix d'Aumale sees the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Left Sea (GB) (Frankel {GB}) meet some intriguing rivals but the manner of the performance of the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained daughter of Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) on her Deauville debut Aug. 18 suggests she has nothing to fear. In the G3 Prix des Chenes, Ballydoyle make another rare foray to one of France's lesser-contested juvenile contests with the stable even more replete than usual with potential Classic contenders. The Aug. 15 Dundalk maiden winner Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}) from the family of Uncle Mo is the chosen one and he is joined by compatriot Pivotal Trigger (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), Yuesheng Zhang's Jessica Harrington-trained son of the G1 Prix Royal-Oak and Park Hill winner Allegretto (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who took an always-competitive Galway maiden July 25.

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Goodwood Winner The Platinum Queen Possible for the Nunthorpe

The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), impressive winner of Goodwood's Alice Keppel Fillies' Conditions S. July 27, is being considered for the Coolmore G1 Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 19. Campaigned by Middleham Park Racing, the juvenile would have to be supplemented to the five-furlong test.

Sent off the 5-6 favorite in her latest start, the Richard Fahey-trained filly came home a four-length winner over nine rivals, setting a new track record for 2-year-olds while recording a faster time than the winner of the G3 Molecomb S. on the same card.

“We were quite impressed with how Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never) went about her business in the Molecomb, the jury was out on whether we should or we shouldn't have run in that race after [her win],” said Middleham Park's Tom Palin. “There were a few people thinking we'd done the wrong thing but she's quite a forward-going filly. She's not buzzy, she doesn't sweat or anything like that, but for her development we felt it was best to give her a slightly quieter day in slightly calmer waters to get another win under her belt.”

In addition to the Nunthorpe, Palin indicated the Listed Roses S. is also an option during York's Ebor meeting. Hollie Doyle is slated to ride.

“She will definitely go to York, the Roses is on the Saturday, the listed five-furlong race. I imagine she'd be even-money or maybe a bit shorter than that if she went there. It is still a definite option.”

“We will probably leave it as late as we dare, just so we know how the filly is. We'll make the decision and speak to the syndicate when we've got all the information at our disposal and we feel it's something we want to take a chance on.”

“It could be quite sporting to roll the dice and give it a go. She has speed but it's not just speed, she's classy as well.”

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Lillie Langtry To Conclude Glorious Week

The elite-level contests are done, track records have tumbled and Goodwood's five-day bonanza concludes with the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. taking centre stage at the Sussex venue on Saturday.

The £300,000 14-furlong distaffers' test has fallen to favourites in six of the last nine editions and this year's market is headed by Sunderland Holding's G2 Lancashire Oaks runner-up Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish Oaks fourth Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The former's stamina is not in question, according to William Haggas, with the Somerville Lodge trainer bidding to double his win tally after Baaeed's G1 Sussex S. success earlier in the week. “Sea La Rosa is very well and we have obviously had this race in mind since Haydock,” Haggas said. “She ran a very good race there on ground which we did not think suited her. She won over a mile and five [furlongs] at Lingfield and we think she'd get the trip without any problem, so we think she has got a chance.”

Irish To Buck The Trends?
Aidan O'Brien is in unfamiliar territory and yet to register a win, from seven runners, in the contest and is represented by the progressive Emily Dickinson, who was narrowly denied by Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Leopardstown's G3 Stanerra S. earlier in the month before missing out on her Classic placing by a half-length last time. She will attempt to buck a trend which has seen just five sophomore triumphs and one Irish victory in 19 renewals.

Accompanying her on the trip from Ireland is Newtown Anner Stud's Jessica Harrington trainee Forbearance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has twice chased home Rosscarbery and finished behind Emily Dickinson in the Stanerra when last seen. The 5-year-old, set to be partnered by Hollie Doyle for a second time, accounted for Sea La Rosa when the duo met in last term's G3 Princess Royal S. at Newmarket and the rider will be hoping to outpoint husband Tom Marquand for household bragging rights.

“Forbearance gave me a memorable afternoon at York's Ebor Festival last year when she won the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Galtres S. and I'm hoping she can rediscover her best form and outrun a big price,” said Doyle. “She beat Sea La Rosa by more than four lengths at Newmarket, but William Haggas's filly has improved considerably since then.”

With five millimetres of overnight watering scheduled, Harrington nonetheless expects Forbearance to relish underfoot conditions and added, “She ran a much better race the last time and has come into herself now. She did not come into herself last year until August and she seems to be in good form. She will love the ground and the quicker the better. Hopefully she will put her best foot forward.”

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King George The Friday Focus

Despite all the top-level contests being done at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, Friday's action at the Sussex venue is almost as compelling with the G2 King George Qatar S. the fast and frenzied feature.

Now that Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is in a deserved retirement, one of Britain's fastest five-furlong sprints is looking for a new ruler but at present he is not instantly recognisable in the void left by Shadwell's super-charged performer. Perhaps the best to hope for is an engaging spectacle as the July 2 G3 Sandown Sprint S. one-two Raasel (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Mitbaahy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) renew rivalry on this entirely different track.

The Horse Watchers' Raasel–who once raced in the Battaash colours–relished the uphill finish at the Esher venue to deny Hasan Mefareh Alajmi and Fawzi Nass's 3-year-old Mitbaahy by a neck, but he is also two-for-two in handicaps over this course and distance so must rate as a versatile as well as progressive performer. The syndicate's Chris Dixon revealed that the Breeders' Cup is in the syndicate's sights for the Mick Abbleby-trained 5-year-old. “Whatever happens here, so long as he comes out of it well, I think we'll be running in the Nunthorpe and we'll go from there. We'll think about the Breeders' Cup at the end of the season potentially as well, so it's exciting stuff and we're going to find out a lot more in the next couple of months, I guess,” he said.

“This is the race that we've always had our eye on, even before he ran in the listed race at Haydock,” Dixon added. “You know that bridge from handicaps to group races in five-furlong races isn't always massive and we know he likes Goodwood so much, so basically after he won his handicap there earlier in the season, we kind of thought this is where we'd come and it was just a case of how we got here.” Mitbaahy, a half-brother to the GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), came to the fore with a win in Sandown's Listed Scurry S. June 11 and holds every chance of reversing the form with Raasel with age on his side.

Retrieval Missions

Also in the King George is the Hayses' Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) and Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), with the latter looking the most intriguing. He took this meeting's Stewards' Cup in 2019 and appeared a revitalised character when making all in Newmarket's G3 Palace House S. Apr. 30, but left the stalls without his rider in Royal Ascot's G1 King's Stand S. June 14. There is nothing the like of Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. the Shadwell star won 12 months ago, but last year's G2 Champagne S. scorer and G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Futurity Trophy third Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) remains a class act despite finishing out of the frame in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp May 15 and Royal Ascot's G1 St James's Palace S. June 14. “He ran well at Ascot in the St James's Palace, which is proving to be a strong piece of form and there is plenty to take from the race,” trainer Roger Varian said of Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's representative. We would look at that race as his first proper race of the season–the French Guineas was a bit of a non-event, so we think that piece of form at Ascot would present him with a strong chance in this race.”

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