Goodwood & Galway selections Thursday 30th July
The Festival meetings at Galway and Goodwood reach the halfway stage today and I have selections from a big handicap on each card. Hawksbill was placed for the each-way wager at Goodwood yesterday (9/1).
Goodwood 1.50: Decade of Time
In truth this Goodwood card looks the weakest of the five, but I like the look of DECADE OF TIME’s chances in the opener. His price made more eyecatching by being drawn widest of all – something hopefully Tom Marquand can use his experience to overcome.
He looks a thoroughly genuine type who has perhaps surprised connections since making his debut at 40/1 at Newbury in the spring over a mile where he finished an excellent third of twenty-five. The form of that race has worked out pretty well, the fourth home for example has win a big handicap at the Curragh since.
Decade of Time has only progressed since then. He managed back to back novice wins at Windsor and Nottingham, where racing prominently throughout clearly suited – a tactic that usually works on fast ground here. His handicap debut at Newmarket earlier this month was very promising, chasing home Heraldry and confirming he has the stamina for this 10f trip. If he can take up a good early position, I can see Decade of Time being hard to keep out the frame.
Galway 4.30: Murcia & Tounsivator
The big hurdle race of the week at Galway, bolstered by additional prize money, brings together an excellent field. Willie Mullins landed the big race here yesterday and has two strong candidates that will take plenty of beating.
MURCIA is the choice of Paul Townend and has her confidence boosted by runs in two lesser mares only hurdles this spring. She was a comfortable 3l winner over Royal Hollow at Listowel over this 2m trip and was probably beaten by a lack of stamina over a half-miel further at Killarney last time having looked certain to win jumping the last.
This mare was classy enough to win the 2m Grade 1 juvenile at Aintree last year, and already has decent form in big field handicaps. She does have a tendency to jump right, so her performance at the Dublin Racing Festival last season was exceptional given she hung and jumped markedly right throughout given lengths away. That she managed fourth was to her great credit and from a 2lbs lower mark today, she will surely be better off going this way around. Her recent runs confirmed she is much more at home on good going to allow her natural speed to be used to maximum effect.
TOUNSIVATOR was a solid fourth in this race from last year off just a pound lower mark, and it could be significant that he runs for the first time over hurdles since. This gelding was good enough to win a Grade 2 novice at Fairyhouse in 2024, before the worst of the winter going arrived.
In truth he was disappointing for a while after that, but his run here last year showed the ability still remains. Since then he has been kept to racing on the flat, winning at both Tramore and Fairyhouse – also the two times he has run on genuine good going since. He warmed up for this with a good fifth in the big QR race on Monday and with his favoured ground in place looks solid each-way value.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Decade of Time – 1.50 Goodwood –9/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Murcia – 4.30 Galway – 8/1 William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Tounsivator – 4.30 Galway – 10/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
