Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece I have two for the tracker. Plus, I preview this afternoon's feature race at Goodwood.
I had a lovely day out in the Yorkshire Dales on Monday. The sun was strong, and the temperature was nudging up close to 28c. It’s great to get out and about and forget about the racing. And given the quality of action on offer I didn’t miss watching it.
Future Winners
Today’s tracker horses are at different ends of the age and experience spectrum.
There are plenty of good juvenile races coming up in the next month or so. With that in mind I’m going back to a race on Bank Holiday Monday.
Task Force – Ralph Beckett
Ripon’s Listed Champion Two Year Old Trophy Stakes (6f) produced a smart winner in Task Force. The son of Frankel made it 2-2 in last week’s race. He still looked green when asked for his effort 2f out or he may not have been totally in love with the Ripon undulations. Well on top at the line the colt will stay further in time, but it looks like he could be heading for next months Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. He’ll be well worth his place in that line-up.
The form of the race should prove solid. The runner-up Matters Most a stablemate of the winner looks an improver as does the third Seven Questions who was slightly unlucky in the run and could have finished second with a better passage.
Gulliver – David O’Meara
Gulliver normally gets into the notebook once during a season, but he hasn’t won a race since October 2020. The 9-year-old hasn’t been in the best of form so far this year. However, there was more to like about his 4 length 5th of 12 to Pendleton at Thirsk last Friday.
As ever he found himself behind and was doing his best work at the finish last time. He’s become a well handicapped horse on the best of last year’s form, but he probably needs a strongly run race on soft ground to take advantage of his falling mark.
He’s likely to head to Ayr’s Western Meeting for Ayr’s Silver Cup but will surely need plenty of juice in the ground to win a race there. However, when he gets his optimum conditions, and all the cards fall right he can win again.
Tuesday Preview
Best of Tuesday’s action is at Goodwood. The feature race at the Sussex track is a 2m handicap (3:20).
3:20 – Temporize won well here at Glorious Goodwood (soft) and bids to follow up off 7lb higher. The 4-year-old is back down trip today and should go well if he runs. He coud be a non-runner if soft doesn’t appear in the going description.
Improving staying handicapper Novel Legend finished runner-up to Ebor second Sweet William at Newbury last time. He’s been nudged 1lb but looks a worthy enough favourite at around 3/1. However, he’s another who maybe better with juice in the ground.
The going is drying out and that brings into the mix previous C&D winner Pons Aelius. The 4-year-old shaped like he was still in good form when a 4 ½ length 5th of 10 at Sandown (1m 6f) 16 days ago. The return C&D makes him of interest on a sound surface.
Grand Providence had Temporize a neck back in second at Doncaster in July and has progressed since in placing at Sandown and Newmarket on her last two starts. The return to 2m is a positive for the 3-year-old as is quicker ground.
Vino Victrix has been disappointing on all three turf starts this season,but they have all come on soft ground. A winner over C&D last August he went onto to finish runner-up in the Cesarewitch. Comes with risks attached on his form this season but is down to a competitive mark and is worth serious consideration.
There’s a possibility that Temporize won’t run if the ground has quickened up too much. Which means a Rule 4 if you take early prices. On a sound surface I’m happy to take him on.
Good luck with your Tuesday bets.
John