Five days of fantastic racing awaits at Goodwood as they host the Goodwood festival. The ITV cameras are showing six of the eight races on the opening card of the festival on Tuesday – we give our selection for all six races. ↓
Paddy Power have a fantastic offer for the Goodwood Festival – Sign up HERE today and place a £10 bet to receive a HUGE £40 in FREE BETS! (T&C’s Apply – see bottom of article).
Just Fine (1:50 Goodwood) 5/1
The opening race looks wide open but Ryan Moore is in excellent form of late and we’re backing him to get Goodwood off to a flyer with JUST FINE. Sir Michael Stoute’s gelding has only had three races this year but his last run was full of promise and we’re hoping now is the time to back him.
He only finished sixth last time out in the John Smith’s Cup, but he was less than three lengths off the winner and he was struggling for room when pushing to make his effort. He finished a length behind Brilliant Light that day, but he’s now 2lb better off at the weights with that rival and that should be enough to see him finish ahead this time around.
Ryan Moore has been on board for both of his victories and he’s back on board here. None of his rivals’ form is great and this looks an excellent opportunity for him to get back in the winners enclosure.
Holloway Boy (2:25 Goodwood) 7/4
These are all inexperienced runners and could be anything, but HOLLOWAY BOY’s performance in the Chesham Stakes was so eyecatching, we simply have to back him here. Karl Burke’s colt raced in last throughout, before picking off the field one by one to win cosily. To win a Listed contest on debut is some going, especially in the manner he did it in.
In this race it usually pays to stay towards the head of the betting, with seven of the last ten renewals won by the favourite. Holloway Boy looks almost certain to go off as favourite this year, and a deserved one at that!
His likeliest danger on paper is Charlie Appleby’s Mysterious Night after his third-placed effort in the July Stakes, but he’s yet to race at this trip and he hasn’t been overly impressive in any of his three races yet. We’re expecting a bigger challenge from the two other unbeaten runners – Dear My Friend and Dornoch Castle. We’re all over Holloway Boy though and can’t see him getting beat!
Sacred (3:00 Goodwood) 15/8
SACRED could only finish fifth on seasonal reappearance in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, but she drops down to Group 2 company now and with that run hopefully blowing off the cobwebs, she should be winning here.
She’s won both races over today’s trip, including a comfortable win in the Hungerford Stakes on her final run of last year. Four-year-olds have won five of the last seven renewals, and the only other 4yo in the line up in Laneqash, who Sacred beat in that Hungerford Stakes win last year.
You can find plenty of reasons to avoid her rivals too – Pogo’s trainer Charles Hills is in poor form (no winners in last two weeks from 19 runners), and the majority of her other rivals have failed to win almost a year (Lusail/Kinross/Gubbass/Sandrine etc).
Everything points towards a big run from Sacred, and with both William Haggas and Tom Marquand in superb form of late, they can land another winner here.
Stradivarius (3:35 Goodwood) 9/4
On to the big one! STRADIVARIUS has a 100% record in the Goodwood Cup and is the most successful horse in the race’s history. He is a staying superstar and we see no reason why he won’t make it 5/5 on Tuesday.
He proved he still has that winning mentality in the Yorkshire Cup on reappearance, before a poor ride from Frankie blew any chance he had of catching Kyprios in the Gold Cup. Had he moved off the rail earlier on in the race, he wouldn’t have been boxed in and could’ve finished much closer, in not ahead of the AP O’Brien runner.
Frankie Dettori has somewhat controversially been jocked off and replaced with Andrea Atzeni, but that’s not as much of a negative as people may think – he’s won all three races he’s been on board Stradivarius, including two Goodwood Cup’s.
When you take into consideration his Goodwood form, the fact he would’ve finished closer in the Gold Cup with a better ride, and the fact he’s never lost over this trip on good or better ground, it seems a no-brainer to back Strad again and we fully expect the crowd to blow the roof off when he wins!
Dusky Lord (4:10 Goodwood) 9/2
Celsius may have won last time out, but we’re still surprised to see him currently heading the betting. Especially when you consider DUSKY LORD finished just over a length behind him that day and is now 5lb better off at the weights with him.
Roger Varian’s runner made a winning reappearance earlier this year at Newmarket, finishing ahead of Rebel At Dawn (2nd) and Get It (5th) who both won next time out. He then had a poor run in the Epsom Dash, where he could only finish in midfield. But he put that performance behind him when fourth in his most recent run, where he would’ve finished much closer had he had a clear path.
The fact he had his path blocked and still finished close to Celsius, plus a 5lb swing in the weights with that rival bodes well for our selections chances. We think he has a solid chance here and he’s a cracking price to do so!
Mischief Magic (4:45 Goodwood) 11/4
This is another race where the horses could be absolutely anything, but with the form we are able to look into, MISCHIEF MAGIC looks to have a fantastic chance.
He may have only finished third on debut, but the form has worked out extremely well. The winner that day, Royal Scotsman, finished third in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, whilst the second (Bluelight Bay), fourth (Show Respect) and fifth (Galeron) all won next time out. That is some excellent form and by far the best on offer here!
The magical partnership of Charlie Appleby and William Buick has seen numerous winners this season, and with both trainer and jockey in fantastic recent form they can land another one with Mischief Magic.
*Odds Correct At Time Of Writing – 1pm Monday 25nd July*
Paddy Power New Customer Offer T&C’s – New customer offer. Place a £10 Sportsbook bet on any Horse Racing market between the 25th and 29th July, at min. odds 1/5 (1.2) — get £40 in free bets on bet settlement, valid 30 days. Only deposits via Cards will qualify (Apple Pay deposits excluded). T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.