Good morning all,
It's dry outside my window this morning (I'm virtually on the track, don't forget) and it's dried out a touch in the night, but it's still good to soft in the main at Goodwood for Stewards Cup day.
My thoughts on the final day on the main piece.
Read More »Goodwood Festival – Day 5Good morning all,
This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for me, second only to Royal Ascot (in a normal year anyway) as I’m moving around the country working for the latter half of the week. I’ve already been to Sandown and Epsom last night, and now for the next two days it’s going to be Goodwood all the way. Hoping for dry weather! (Update – I have never, ever, got so wet as I did at Sandown Wednesday night.)
The rain at the beginning of the week means we’re dealing with ground with some cut in it this week. As of 6.30am this morning, we've had another 3.6mm in the night, but it is very blustery and the ground remains simialr to what it was yesterday.
It’s a decent Friday card, so let’s see if we can find where the value lies.
Read More »Goodwood Festival – Day 4Good morning all,
A tricky track, tricky races and more tricky weather and you have the makings for a punter's nightmare.
The weather was better at Goodwood on Wednesday. At this time of year, the ground can dry out quickly. In the short term that’s not necessary a good thing. The going can get “gluey & holding” and not all horses act on such a surface. Forecasts for the rest of the week are sending out mixed messages. Some continue to predict a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers. The worst type of forecast for us punters is “scattered” showers. Meanwhile others talk of light rain late Thursday evening through to Friday morning.
It was a clean sweep for the classic generation in the yesterday’s Sussex Stakes. With Alcohol Free just getting the better of Poetic Flare inside the final furlough. The winner is a tough filly. Who was the best horse on the day and became the first of her sex to win the race since Soviet Song in 2004.
Back to Thursday’s action. It’s day three of the Goodwood Festival and there’s more racing at the Galway Festival. The feature races of a seven-race card are the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes (3:35) and the Group 2 Unibet Richmond Stakes (2:25).
Over at Galway. It’s more National Hunt action. The highlight of an eight-race card is Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap (6:15) with €147,500 on offer to the winner.
Inside the main piece, I have taken a look at the first four races at Goodwood.
Read More »Qatar Goodwood Festival – Day 3Good morning all,
The stalls open on the Qatar “Glorious” Goodwood Festival. The ground has softened and it looks like it will be soft for day one. As for the rest of week, it’s looking mainly dry but passing showers are forecast for the next five days. However, the weather apps are sending mixed message as to when and how much rain they will produce.
The big Goodwood news on Monday was Richard Hannon aiming Snow Lantern at the Sussex Stakes rather than the Nassau Stakes and given the softening ground it looks a good move.
The day one headline act is Stradivarius as he bids for fifth successive win in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (3:35). Although Stradivarius won on soft ground in the past the rain softened ground really brings Trueshan into the mix.
It’s also day two of the Galway Festival with the feature race of an eight-race card being the COLM QUINN BMW Mile Handicap (Premier Handicap) (6:15).
ITV are covering the first five races on an eight-race card at Goodwood. Inside today’s main piece I have looked at the first four races at Goodwood and the big race at Galway.
Read More »Glorious Goodwood Festival – Day 1