A welcome dry day forecast for Goodwood ahead of their
eight-raced card which features three Group contests likely to be run on soft
or tacky, holding ground.
Happy Romance is held in high regard by connections and she
looked ready for a step up in grade when winning the valuable sales race at
York earlier in the month. The winning time was only slightly slower than the
Lowther and she looks sure to go close but she has yet to win beyond six
furlongs and the nod goes to Pomelo (1.50) who looked potentially very smart
when scoring at Newbury on debut.
Trainer Ralph Beckett suggested his daughter of Dubawi had
only started fast work two weeks prior to her Newbury success and he
immediately nominated this race as her next start. She is drawn out widest of
all but that should not be a problem given there are only six runners. The
filly is 9/4 with bet365 and that is the recommendation.
Breath Of Air (2.25) beat none other than the recently
retired Sussex Stakes winner Mohaather as a juvenile on ground with plenty of
cut in it and the hope is that he can return to winning ways in the 7f
handicap.
The 4-y-old has never been the most consistent but Ryan
Moore has been in the plate for three of his four starts this term and he is
only 1lb higher than when second at Haydock last time when he drifted right
inside the final couple of furlongs. He only went down by a nose and that shift
was, arguably, the difference between victory and defeat.
The filly Cabeletta was no match for Enbihaar over today’s
C&D last time but that form was given a boost when the winner followed up
in the Lonsdale Cup at York earlier in the month. I was disappointed with the
performance of Subjectivist in the Gt Voltigeur at York last time, but he would
not be the first runner from the Mark Johnston yard to bounce back from a poor
run at Goodwood.
The selection is related to the stable’s Sir Ron Priestley
who finished runner up behind Logician in the St Leger last September and the
Doncaster classic has long been the target for the Johnston colt.
Benbatl remains one of my favourite horses in training but
he is a much better horse on a sound surface, and he is reluctantly overlooked
in the Celebration Mile because of the forecast ground and 3lbs penalty he is
due to shoulder.
Regal Reality (3.35) returned to winning form in a first-time
visor at Salisbury last time when he seemed suited by the drop back to a mile
having been campaigned exclusively over further since April 2019. There is no
guaranteed pace in the race, and I wonder if Ryan Moore will want to get across
from his wide draw and set his own gallop.
Domino Darling was taken out of her comeback race at Windsor
earlier in the month on account of the prevailing soft ground even though she
landed her sole juvenile start on heavy ground at Doncaster.
The Frankel filly Tanita (3.35) receives 7lbs from the
William Haggas trained filly and she gets the vote having run an eye-catching
race on her reappearance when tenderly handled at Yarmouth. The selection has
never raced on soft ground but her sire’s progeny often appreciate a bit of cut
in the ground and she can break her maiden tag at the fourth time of asking.
Pitcher’s Point makes his turf/handicap debut for John
Gosden having raced four times on the all-weather previously. The American bred
colt has been well supported on all four starts and is obviously held in some
regard but his ability to cope with today’s forecast soft ground is a concern.
The vote goes to Amir Kabir (4.30) who is a progressive sort
for Roger Charlton and is taken to defy a 2kbs hike for finishing a close third
at Sandown last time. Today’s softer ground should hold no terrors.
I remain convinced there is more to come from King Ottokar
(3.15) and Charlie Fellowes has gelded his four-year-old since his last start
and fits his charge with a visor for the first time this afternoon in Windsor’s
Winter Hill Stakes. The selection finished a neck behind Fox Chairman at Royal
Ascot last year, but he is given one last chance on ground that clearly suits.
At Perth on Sunday Scardura (2.05) was nominated as a novice
chaser to follow by trainer Neil Muholland in a short video he did with Paul
Ferguson whose excellent publication Jumpers To Follow is a must read for all
jumps enthusiasts. The form of his second to Longhouse Sale on his chase debut
has been boosted by the subsequent wins of the first, third and fifth and he
can take advantage of what looks an attractive mark.
For all your racing news go to charliemccann.co.uk
