Hi all,
Inside today's main piece I'm previewing Saturday's big betting race the Coral Stewards' Cup at Goodwood.
Wi-Fi issues on Thursday, coupled with other commitments, meant I couldn’t do a Friday column for the Daily Punt. Trying to keep an eye on one big racing festival is tough enough, but two is nigh on impossible. Plus, writing up previews made it a challenging week. Nevertheless, the first three days at Goodwood were excellent, and I’ve kept my Galway bets to a minimum this year alhough Chally Chute went agonizingly close on Friday evening.
The Coral Stewards' Cup (3:35) is the highlight of the final day at Glorious Goodwood. Additionally, the undercard features the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes (3:00). ITV Racing is covering the first four races live from Goodwood, plus the first two races from Newmarket's July course.
Meanwhile, across the Irish Sea, the Galway Festival enters its penultimate day with the standout event being the Listed BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle (2:30), which offers a tempting €64,900 to the winner.
My final Goodwood preview and selections have been sent out to Victor Value subscribers. Here’s my preview of the Goodwood feature race.
3:35 – Coral Stewards' Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) – 6f
A maximum field of 28 runners is set for this annual cavalry charge. Here’s my seven-strong shortlist:
Dark Trooper:
Back to winning ways for his new yard at Saint-Cloud in May, Dark Trooper improved again when finishing a ½-length 2nd of 25 in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot last time. Although he's up 3lb, if he handles this sharper 6f, he’s got obvious claims.
Lethal Levi:
Appears to have been revived by the refitting of blinkers, making all to win at Newbury and finishing a 1 ¼ length 4th of 25 in the Wokingham Handicap. Moreover, he maintained his recent improvement when 2nd of 20 in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket last time. He’s in the mix again back at 6f.
Rumstar:
On a losing run since October 2022, but he was back to form when a 1 ½ length runner-up to Lethal Levi two starts back. Although below par in the Wokingham last time, if the former C&D winner returns to his Newbury form, he’d be a lively outsider.
Apollo One:
A likeable and consistent handicap sprinter who was runner-up in both the Wokingham and this race last year. Despite being placed on his first two starts this season, he wasn’t at his best in a Group 3 over 5f at Sandown last time. Although handicapped up to his best, back at 6f, he wouldn’t be winning a race like this out of turn.
Billyjoh:
A fast-finishing runner-up in the Buckingham Palace Handicap (7f) at Royal Ascot is having his third run in a week. Despite being down the field back at Ascot in the International Stakes Handicap last Saturday, he was back to form, finishing 2nd of 18 here in a 7f handicap 3 days ago. The first-time cheekpieces are applied for the drop back to 6f. Handicapped to be competitive for a yard who could win with the sttbale cat this week such has been their form
Glenfinnan:
Trainer Michael Dods had a sprint winner here earlier in the week and won this race twice with Commanche Falls in 2021 & 2022, so you must respect his runner Glenfinnan. Glenfinnan got off the mark for his new yard at Ascot in May and was a 2-length fifth in the Wokingham. Although too keen in the first-time cheekpieces last time (discarded here), a reproduction of his Wokingham run puts him bang there.
Dare To Hope:
Caught the eye and went into the notebook when a back-to-form 2 ¼ length 4th of 14 at York 7 days ago. Although badly drawn, he was doing his best work at the finish last week, I think there’s a nice sprint handicap pot in the 4-year-old, perhaps not this one. He’s one to keep onside going forward.
The Coral Stewards' Cup remains one of the most anticipated events, and this year's race promises to be thrilling. I have had a couple of bets in the race, but I might be having a third.
I'm taking the good lady for a short London theatre break. That means there won’t be a column on Monday & Tuesday. However, i'll hopefully get out my Goodwood Review on Saturday evening/Sunday morning.
All the best
John
With all of the non runners at Goodwood late yesterday, I wonder how much water was thrown at the course overnight by the jittery COTC.
Loads of divets being kicked up away from each rail and down the centre in the Stewards, they had no chance!
Less and less continuity week by week.
Invertibrates, the lot of them in this game…pathetic!
Yes mate, mentioned in Sunday’s look back at the meeting.
I reckon he must have put on double what he had done for the previous four days but with no hot sunshine forecast. The water hadn’t had time to soak into the ground, making it just loose on top and plenty of horses just didn’t like it.
It always seems to happen on Saturday too. As you say pathetic.