Goodwood selections Saturday 24th May
Plenty of high quality cards on a busy day of racing on Saturday. The Curragh is the stand out fixture, but there are good bets to be had on a competitive card at Goodwood. I have selections for three races on the afternoon. We had each-way placed efforts from Indian Run (advised 8/1) and Classic (advised 8/1) at Newbury last week.
Goodwood 1.30: Bob Mali & Best Rate
A very big field lines up for the first, despite a couple of defections. I have two against the field.
BOB MALI looks primed for a return to 7f, especially on a sharp track like Goodwood after two fine efforts over 6f this spring. He is a prominent racer who should be able to get a decent position from a fair draw and has that 6f pace to be tactically well positioned.
He goes well with some cut, having won on heavy going at both Chester and Salisbury over 6f last season. Although it won’t be very soft at Goodwood, they always water well here and there was a significant shower or two earlier in the week, with rain also forecast this morning. There should be enough ease therefore for him to be at his best. His only previous try at this distance was under bottomless conditions and in Group 3 company which was probably too much, but at this level he looks well worth another shot at the trip.
BEST RATE ran a cracker at York last week, just being touched off by the fast finishing Rare Change and on this tighter track he might well be able to turn the tables on that rival. He adapted well to the drop back in trip at York and a strongly run 7f might just be his optimum set up at the moment.
He had run with credit in decent mile handicaps at Kempton and Newmarket in the spring, but I think the petrol tank was probably just emptying at the finish each time. He comfortably beat off Tawasol on the All Weather at Wolverhampton over Christmas, and that horse is now rated 93 after winning his last two starts. Therefore off 85 Best Rate surely has a win in him. He has confirmed his ability to handle turf as well as an artificial surface recently and he rates solid each-way material.
Goodwood 2.05: Amiloc
It is very much to AMILOC’s credit that he has won his first three starts, one over 7f, the latter two over a mile as this horse is very much bred to be better over further and he can display as much in this 11f contest.
He produced an authoritative display to win here at the last meeting, beating a decent yardstick in Hawksbill by 3l and storming clear in the closing stages. That followed two wins at Kempton in the autumn. His win here came at a time when the Ralph Beckett horses were struggling for form and in need of their seasonal debut, so there is every reason to think he will improve for that outing today.
Even more so when you take into account he is a son of Colima who stayed 12f well and was second in an Oaks Trial at Lingfield before finishing down the field in the big one at Epsom. Everything suggests Amiloc will be better at this distance and he already has proved his ability to handle this undulating track.
Goodwood 3.45: Master Builder
A classy looking handicap and whilst favourite French Master is surely going to be winning plenty of races, he might be short enough on a track that favours speed, whilst his strong suit looks stamina. As a result MASTER BUILDER might just have too much speed for him.
He was progressive last summer, culminating in a big race win at Haydock, having gone close in the Melrose at York. He probably was over the top by the time he ran down the field in the November Handicap on the final day of the turf season.
However he started 2025 with an excellent run at Epsom last month, finishing second in the Great Metropolitan. That was a nice pipeopener over 12f, but this is surely his preferred distance. He looks adaptable ground wise having run well on fast and slow ground, so ground conditions should not be an issue.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Bob Mali – 1.30 Goodwood – 12/1 BetVictor, Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Best Rate – 1.30 Goodwood – 9/1 BetVictor, Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt win – Amiloc – 2.05 Goodwood – 13/8 Bet365
1pt each-way – Master Builder – 3.45 Goodwood – 11/2 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
