Goodwood selections Friday 1st August
Day Four at Goodwood taking place on ground changed dramatically by yesterdays storms. The racing today includes contests at the opposite ends of the spectrum, a handicap over one of the longest distances of the entire year in the racing calendar, and a 5f Group 2. I have selections for three races. The stewards helped us to a headline selection win at Galway yesterday through Ndaawi (13/2).
Goodwood 1.20: Kyle of Lochalsh & Zinc White
Lightly raced so far this season, KYLE OF LOCHALSH is becoming a standing dish in these marathon contests. Filling third place in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting last season, and fourth in this race twelve months ago. Both of those races took place on fast ground, but arguably he is a better horse on going like this.
He was third under testing conditions in a listed event at Saint Cloud last autumn, and showed his prowess on soft ground when a 7l winner at Salisbury over 1m6f last spring. He remains on a fair mark and perhaps Oisin Murphy can coax that little bit extra out of him to get his head in front.
ZINC WHITE remains lightly raced full stop and also demonstrated a liking for big field staying handicaps and for soft ground when taking the 2023 Chester Plate. Injury necessitated a long absence soon after, and he has admittedly shown little in two starts since coming back this summer.
However both those races took place on quick ground and he was entitled to need a run or two to get back into the swing of things. He produced two more soft ground wins as a 3yo in early 2021, so conditions are undoubtedly in his favour this afternoon. Ian Williams has likely been targeting this race for a while and it would be no surprise to see a much better effort today.
Goodwood 2.30: Rhoscolyn & Ebts Guard
A fascinating Golden Mile in which I prefer the chances of two largely exposed horses, but whose chances will have been enhanced by the rain.
That certainly is the case for RHOSCOLYN who has been forced to race in unfavourably quick ground for a while now. That includes just a couple of days ago when only in mid-division over 7f.
Although he has been well beaten in the last two runnings of this race, he has endured a troubled passage in both and his overall track record is excellent here, especially with cut. His only run on softer going this season was his best, third at Epsom and he won off 2lbs higher here on heavy ground last September.
EBTS GUARD is an admirably consistent sort who will relish the step back to a mile after a fair fifth in the Bunbury Cup last time. He won the Spring Cup at Newbury back in April when there was still some cut in the ground and his previous win came on soft going at Ascot last autumn.
Second here in the 3yo mile handicap at this fixture last year, he is versatile tactically and is sure to give punters a good run for their money.
Goodwood 3.05: JM Jungle & Kerdos
Two horses drawn on opposite sides of the track are fancied here.
JM JUNGLE aims to graduate from handicap company, but the success of American Affair at Ascot shows that can be done. He is a strong traveller who should be able to keep up with the likely strong pace on this sharp track.
Indeed he is a former Festival winner here who landed the Epsom Dash this season on a similar downland track. Third at York in listed company shows he remains in top form and that win here came on similar soft ground to today.
KERDOS looks worth chancing with first time cheekpieces being tried to sharpen him up. His form is decent this season, including a fifth in the Group 1 King Charles at Ascot.
He looked to hold every chance at Sandown last time before fading late on, and was only beaten 2l on fast ground in this contest last season. He has plenty of good form on soft going though including a group race win at Haydock last season. If that headgear has a positive effect he has only to find a little on recent form to figure here.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Kyle of Lochalsh – 1.20 Goodwood – 9/2 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Zinc White – 1.20 Goodwood – 7/1 William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Rhoscolyn – 2.30 Goodwood – 9/1 Betfred (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Ebts Guard – 2.30 Goodwood – 16/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – JM Jungle – 3.05 Goodwood – 12/1 Bet365, Coral (1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Kerdos – 3.05 Goodwood – 8/1 Paddy Power (1/5 odds 1st 4)
