Goodwood selections Friday 31st July
Some cracking handicaps to enjoy at Goodwood on Friday, starting with one of the longest races on the calendar, the 2m4f contest, plus the Golden Mile, always one of the most competitive races of the week. Our placed each-way bets continued on Thursday at Goodwood with Decade of Time placing (advised 9/1).
Goodwood 1.50: Believitanducan
Despite continuing to climb the ratings after winning all three starts this summer, BELIEVITANDUCAN can score again upped further in distance.
Having had a solid winter hurdling, the 5yo has surpassed himself on the flat. Well fancied for an apprentice contest at Ascot, he duly delivered the odds in style over 2m. He then built on that with an easy 3l win at Chester later that month. He was then stepped up in class for the Northumberland Vase for his last start.
Always in the front rank, he kicked for home some way out and held on strongly right to the line. I am sure he will benefit from this extra distance. He has already run over this far over hurdles, winning over this trip at Plumpton. He is the sort of horse that does just enough to win, so he can continue to defy the assessor here.
Goodwood 3.00: Indalo & Blue Brother
Plenty of these have been taking each other on all season and INDALO has been one of the most successful of the mile handicappers all year.
Always a keen going sort, he has been gradually learning how to settle in his races and that has been helping him no end. Beaten by the smallest possible margin in the Cambridgeshire last season, he has continued to progress all year. He started with a fine second from well off the pace at Newbury back in April.
He then won his side of the track in the Hunt Cup at the Royal meeting, only to be beaten by two on the favoured stands side. However he gained a deserved success in the Coral Challenge at Sandown last time, relishing the fast ground. He was fourth at this meeting last season, but over a furlong further and I think he has proven that a strongly run mile is more his thing.
BLUE BROTHER made a tremendous reappearance from exactly a year off the track when fourth in the Buckingham Palace at the Royal meeting last month. That run came over 7f, which was perhaps a wise move as he was pretty keen after so long away. However I strongly suspect he will be better off at this mile.
He was a winner of the mile handicap at Longchamp on Arc weekend in 2024 but proved his aptitude for fast ground at Ascot recently and he can build on that comeback run off the same mark of 98 today. Stall eight ought to be a nice berth, not too wide to cover extra ground, whilst not being potentially stuck on the inside.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Believitanducan – 1.50 Goodwood –6/1 Bet365, Unibet (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Indalo – 3.0 Goodwood – 5/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Blue Brother – 3.0 Goodwood – 7/1 William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 5)
