3 minute read
Goodwood hosts a seven-race fixture on Tuesday, featuring an exciting two-year-old maiden and the Royal Sussex Regiment Handicap.
Nine runners line up for the 2m Class 2 Royal Sussex Regiment Handicap (3:20). Current favourite Novel Legend boasts plenty of strong staying form this season, including two victories over two miles earlier in the year. A commendable seventh of nineteen in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot, the gelding was well-beaten into second behind subsequent Ebor Handicap runner-up Sweet William. There is little to fault about the four-year-old's recent performances and it seems likely that he will be firmly in the mix, although possibly vulnerable to a horse further down the handicap.
Andrew Balding's Grand Providence fits the brief at the bottom of the weights. The improving three-year-old filly is unexposed over two miles, but did beat the re-opposing Temporize by a neck on her sole start over the trip at Doncaster in early July with Hayley Turner aboard. Whilst her breeding would not suggest a two mile performer, Grand Providence definitely stayed every yard of the trip at Doncaster and she has been placed in two runs over 1m6f since – both on good and heavy ground. She appears versatile and open to further improvement.
WIN: GRAND PROVIDENCE
There are some very nice prospects in the 1m Class 2 British EBF 40th Anniversary Peter Willett Future Stayers' Maiden Stakes (2:10) and experience may prove to be key. The Andrew-Balding trained Caviar Heights is the only horse in the field with two runs under his belt and the Sea The Stars colt shaped with promise when runner-up by a short head at Sandown Park on his first venture over a mile. He appeared to have room for further progression, having hung left in the closing stages, and the colt has shown substantially more than his previously-raced rivals.
WIN: CAVIAR HEIGHTS
Whilst market leader Pink Satin has solid credentials in the 6f Class 3 William Hill Epic Boost Fillies' Nursery Handicap (2:45), Snafiya appeals at the prices (currently 6/1). The daughter of Blue Point has plenty of experience to her name with six racecourse starts and she registered a double when taking a Thirsk novice over six furlongs in late July. The filly did not fire subsequently when a well-beaten sixth of six at Newmarket's July course and that performance appears too poor to be true. She has plenty of speed and may be allowed the dictate the race from the front.
WIN: SNAFIYA
John and Thady Gosden's Cover Up may prove tough to beat in the six-runner 5f Class 4 William Hill Presents Up Front Handicap (3:55), having relished the drop back to five furlongs on his third career start. The son of Exceed and Excel had been well-beaten on his first two outings over seven furlongs and showed a different level of form, leading from the early stages and battling hard with Starstrike to score by a nose. He remains well-handicapped and jockey William Buick is in excellent form with a 31% strike rate from the last fourteen days.
WIN: COVER UP
RACING & SPORTS SELECTIONS
RACE 1: ON THE RIGHT TRACK
RACE 2 : CAVIAR HEIGHTS
RACE 3: SNAFIYA
RACE 4: GRAND PROVIDENCE
RACE 5: COVER UP
RACE 6: KING LEAR
RACE 7: CAIRN GORM
