3 minute read

Day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival gets underway at 1.50 this afternoon and Sam King returns with a pair of fancies from the Sussex venue.

Further overnight rainfall has seen the ground now officially described as soft and it's not surprising to see a number of non-runners throughout the card.

The British EBF 40th Anniversary Alice Keppel Fillies' Conditions Stakes at 4.10 looks like an interesting renewal and I'm hopeful Tropical Island can retain her unbeaten record.

Richard Fahey has his team in good form at present with a healthy 22% (13-60) strike-rate from the last 14 days and conditions will certainly favour his filly, who ran out a convincing debut winner in testing ground at Ripon. Richard Fahey's filly overcame notable greenness and inexperience that day, leaving the impression there would be plenty more to one from her with that outing under the belt.

The same trainer won this contest last year with subsequent Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner The Platinum Queen. Obviously, Tropical Island has some way to go in order to reach those heights, but she looks a smart filly and may well have the measure of her rivals on the Sussex Downs this afternoon.

Selection: Tropical Island - General 11/4

Ralph Beckett bids for his third success in the last four runnings of the British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies' Handicap (4.45).

The Kimpton-based handler looks to have another rock-solid contender in the shape of La Isla Mujeres, who made a mockery of her opening mark of 78 when running out an emphatic seven-length winner on soft ground at Salisbury.

It's hardly surprising she handled conditions so well, given she's by Lope De Vega out of a mare who also won over 1m2f in testing conditions.

There are few trainers operating at the same strike-rate (31%, 15-48) as Ralph Beckett over the last fortnight and his progressive three-year-old filly can make light work of her 11lb rise, with the ground now firmly in her favour.

Selection: La Isla Mujeres - General 5/2