Goodwood & Galway selections Wednesday 30th July
The centrepiece races of the entire Goodwood and Galway festivals take place on Wednesday, with the Galway Plate looking well up to standard. I have two big selections for the featured chase. Whilst the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood also looks a cracker, from a punting perspective, two other races on the card look to have better opportunities
Goodwood 1.20: Kurakka
Not a huge field for the opener, but a fascinating contest all the same and one with plenty of potential pacesetters. KURAKKA won’t be one of those, but he could be the one to finish strongest of all.
After two promising outings on the All Weather in the winter, he made a winning return to the track when winning a novice at Chelmsford at the beginning of May, relishing a step up to 10f. That win was followed by a further increase in distance to 12f and a switch to handicaps.
He took that in his stride with another win at Haydock, staying every yard of that trip on the sharp track. Nevertheless Alan King decided to drop him back to 10f for a valuable handicap at the Newmarket July meeting. He ran with plenty of credit to be third to Kings Charter, but just looked to lack the natural pace for that distance. A return to 12f on this sharp track will suit, as will the likely decent gallop.
Goodwood 4.55: Billyjoh & Blue Prince
They talk about horses for courses and I am adopting that strategy here – indeed horses for races, as I am backing the two horses who came home first and second last season.
First choice is BILLYJOH who somewhat let me down at Ascot on Saturday, but perhaps with hindsight, a stiff 7f is potentially a step too far. That distance around this track is definitely within his scope as he showed when flying home for second last season. He managed that despite his customary slow start and from a mark 2lbs higher than today.
Given he is breaking better this season, he should not need to give as much ground away at the start which should hold him in better stead. His third place in the Bunbury Cup suggests he remains in good heart, and whilst it is a long time since he got his head in front, a strongly run contest around a quirky track like Goodwood offers him the best chance of a big success.
It was BLUE PRINCE who denied him last year, and he must hold strong claims again this year as he has no doubt been lined up for a repeat bid. He has been freshened up since a busy All Weather campaign that saw him place on three occasions, all at this 7f trip, having disappointed in a few attempts over a mile.
He has now dropped to a mark only 1lb higher than when winning this last year, and this track clearly brings out the best in him as he has finished third on his only two other visits to Goodwood.
Galway 6.40: Down Memory Lane & Thecompanysergeant
Any number of potential improvers in this, but two stand out.
DOWN MEMORY LANE started last season with a facile win in a Navan beginners chase over the high class King of Kingsfield, keeping up his 100% record of winning on seasonal debut. He did not quite go on from that, albeit he was kept to the very highest company against the top novices.
However there is a suspicion that not only is he best fresh, but he could be at his best on top of the ground conditions like he will get at Galway this evening. This could be the proverbial group horse in handicap company and having been kept fresh for this since Fairyhouse at Easter, we might see him at his peak here.
THECOMPANYSERGEANT remains low mileage since joining Gavin Cromwell last season. Of his three runs for the yard, two were in hurdles, where he nevertheless ran very well in big handicaps at Punchestown and Navan.
However it is over fences where his future surely lies and his one run for the yard over the bigger obstacles was a commendable second to Jagwar at the Cheltenham Festival. He can race off just 2lbs higher today and he is another who has run most of his best races on decent ground, so this race looked an obvious target. It looks significant that he has been saved until today to be seen again over fences
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Kurakka– 1.20 Goodwood – 17/2 BetVictor
1pt each-way – Billyjoh – 4.55 Goodwood – 9/1 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Blue Prince – 4.55 Goodwood – 11/1 Skybet (1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Down Memory Lane – 6.40 Galway – 11/2 Skybet, Paddy Power (1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Thecompanysergeant – 6.40 Galway – 13/2 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 6)
