Winners continue to be hard to dig out at Goodwood. Have my tips gone to the dogs?
Anyway, onward to day 4 at the Sussex track. Dandy Nicholls has trained 5 of the last 10 winners of the Stewards Sprint Stakes, the 2.50 at Goodwood tomorrow. He has 6 runners this time and it is never easy to pick the best of his when he comes into the race mob handed. My two fancies are Northern Dare and Valery Borzov, with a slight preference for the latter. I thought that Baby Strange ran a cracker when a narrow 2nd to Knot in Wood at Hamilton and he is the other one I like.
Illustrious Blue heads the weights for the Totesport Mile at 3.30. He has an excellent course record but he has not really been firing this season. I tipped him at Goodwood on Tuesday but he could only finish 10th of 17. I would very much like to see Dhaular Dhar win this. After inning at Doncaster in May at 16/1 he was runner up in the Buckingham Palace Stakes (25/1) at Ascot and then ran 2nd in the Totesport International, again at Ascot and again at 25/1. He is a course and distance winner but has a bad draw unfortunately. When Lang Shining won the Newbury Spring Cup he looked set for a successful campaign but he has not really built on that success. He has something to prove now, and there is also some doubt about his ability to handle fast ground. Unshakable won this race back in 2005 and was a good second at Epsom a couple of runs ago. He would be a decent sporting bet but I would worry about him if the ground was on the quick side.
Royal Confidence represents my list to follow in the 5.15. After starting the season well when 3rd behind Stimulation and Fat Boy in the Free Handicap at Newmarket she has been a bit disappointing. She handles fast ground and would have a chance on her best form but she will need to step up on recent efforts.
I put Cape Vale on my list to follow this season, partly because he is a half brother to Moss Vale who is a bit of a favourite sprinter of mine. Cape Vale hasn’t won this season but has put in some decent runs. He drops back to the minimum trip in the 5.50 after being campaigned over 6 and 7 furlongs this season.
The Elite Racing Club does not have quite the ammunition of a few years ago now that the likes of Soviet Song and New Seeker have retired. They had a winner yesterday with Party in the Park though and they have another runner with chances tomorrow with Harlech Castle in the Haydock 7.50. He comes from a very successful bloodline being a half brother to numerous winners. After being out of touch earlier in the season he ran a much better race when 4th last time out where he was wearing blinkers for the first time. With Paul Cole’s horses starting to find their form after a quiet period he has an each way chance.
Film Maker got off the mark when he bolted up in a maiden at Redcar. He was then upped in class when 5th of 7 in a listed race at Epsom. He makes his debut in handicap company tomorrow in the 7.30 at Newmarket. He has won on quick ground and Ryan Moore is booked to ride.
I think that Marajaa has a race in him somewhere this season. He goes in the 8.05 at Newmarket where he will be ridden by Alan Munroe. Any market move for him could be significant.
Aflaam was an eyecatching 3rd on his racecourse debut and is my selection for the 3.15 at Thirsk. The other runner from my list to follow at the Yorkshire track is Tawzeea in the 4.30.
My thanks to Dan Maudsley for his photo of "dog on the racecourse."
My thanks to Kate Tann for use of her photo of New Seeker (with Soviet Song in the background)
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