Goodwood & Galway Preview – Wednesday

[Wandering Eyes]

The opener on Day 2 of the Glorious Goodwood festival gives national hunt enthusiasts a rare summer treat with some quality jump horses reverting to the flat for this two-mile four and a half furlong handicap.

Lil Rockerfeller who finished runner-up to Nichols Canyon in the 2017 Stayers hurdle at the Cheltenham festival heads the betting for Neil King. The son of Hard Spun hasn’t been seen on the level since finishing second in a Salisbury handicap in May 2015.

He runs off a very attractive mark here and with champion jockey, Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle this tenacious and likeable horse looks sure to be a fan favourite.

It looks like it’s going to be a battle of the “Kings” as Alan sends Coeur De Lion from his Barbury Castle base. This son of Por Moi has run some credible races on the flat during the summer including behind the much-improved Stratum at Newbury most recently. Although I think he may be high enough in the handicap for win purposes.

Cool Sky won the race last year and is an intriguing runner for Ian Williams. He has to run off a seven-pound higher mark this time around, but he has been laid out for the race and with the aid of Josephine Gordon he’s my idea of the winner.

Others to note include Dominating, Imphal and top weight Kloud Gate.

Selection: Cool Sky

Soldier’s Call

The Group 3 Molecomb Stakes has been won by some smart two-year-olds including Zebedee (2010), Requinto (2011) and Yalta (2016). Rumble Inthejungle one of the leading fancies for this year’s renewal is a son of 2012 winner Bungle Inthejungle.

Richard Spencer’s inmate was a snug winner on debut and the ran very well when finishing fourth in the Norfolk at the Royal meeting behind Wesley Ward’s American speedster Shang Shang Shang. Archie Watson sends out the favourite for the Molecomb in the form of Windsor Castle winner Soldier’s Call.

This Windsor Castle form is the strongest in the lineup and I find it hard to see him getting beaten. Another horse that must get a mention is Vintage Brut who was a bitter disappointment in the Norfolk Stakes having been bought for £280,000 by current connections following a Sandown listed win.

Tim Easterby will be hoping the son of Dick Turpin can regain the winning thread here.

Selection: Soldier’s Call

The Group 1 Sussex Stakes is the feature on Day 2 of the Glorious meeting and oh what a race is in store. The unbeaten Without Parole heads the market for this 1-mile contest following an impressive display in the St James’s Palace Stakes. This was John Gosden’s colt’s fourth straight career victory and it seems that the sky is the limit for the son of Frankel.

If Without Parole can win the Sussex Stakes he will be emulating Frankel who took the race in 2011 and 2012. There is quite an illustrious honour roll with Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Henrythenavigator (2008) and Rip Van Winkle (2009) all previous winners.

Sir Michael Stoute was setting records when winning his sixth King George on Saturday and he’ll be hoping to win another Group 1 with Expert Eye, who was highly touted as a two-year-old but had a slow start to his three-year-old campaign until running away with the Jersey Stakes. Such was the manner of this performance Expert Eye was supplemented for the Sussex Stakes and this may just prove money well spent.

The 1-2 from the Summer Mile re-oppose here and even though Beat The Bank may have won a shade cosily, I think Lord Glitters is overpriced. David O’Meara’s consistent performer only has a neck to find with Beat The Bank but he’s more than double the price.

Others to note are St James’s Palace runner-up Gustav Klimt and Lightning Spear.

Selection: Without Parole

Balko Des Flos Winning The 2017 Galway Plate

Galway plays host to the “Galway Plate” on their third day of the festival where some seriously classy chasers clash. Last season’s winner Balko Des Flos went on to win the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival, so it takes a classy individual to win the race. Henry De Bromhead has won two of the last three running’s of the race. Henry has five runners to try and make it a third victory and the pick of these is probably Calino D’airy who was third in the Grade 1 Manifesto Chase at Aintree when last seen.

Gordon has four and the race with the best of these being Jury Duty who was also third in a Grade 1 when last in action at the Punchestown festival. One of Gordon’s outsider Lord Scoundrel won the race two year’s off a mark one pound higher than what he runs off this year and with the underfoot conditions likely to suit, he may just surprise a few people.

Others to note are De Plotting Shed, Ruby’s mount Saturnas and Tully East.

Selection: Calino D’Airy

The post Goodwood & Galway Preview – Wednesday appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN.

View the full article