The final day of the Goodwood Festival takes top billing on ITV Racing’s Saturday coverage and we have five races from the final day of this excellent meeting. The Stewards’ Cup is the feature contest on a very strong card in West Sussex and that handicap sprint is supported by a host of exciting races. We also have some races featuring promising younger horses to get stuck into from Newmarket in this week’s Saturday Racing Tips. With seven contests in total that means seven winning tips to find so let’s get started.
1:20 Thames Materials Handicap
Class 2, 7f
The final day of Glorious Goodwood begins with this 7f handicap. The betting is headed by Quintillus who looked a better, more composed horse last time out at Ascot having been gelded. Connections are hopeful that he will keep improving and that this drop down in trip from a mile should help. They may well be right but 7/2 is a short enough price and rather than taking it to find out, to our mind it makes sense to have an each way bet from something lower in the market and the weights.
Farasi Lane fits the bill nicely at solid odds of 9/2. This progressive gelding took another step forward last time out, winning a Class 3 handicap at Sandown. The race was run to suit that day and he will have to show more battling spirit than we’ve seen from him before if he is to win. Each way bets pay out to three places in this one though and Farasi Lane has a very good chance of filling one of them.
1:55 Unibet Stewards’ Sprint Handicap
Class 2, 6f
As ever, the Stewards’ Cup was extremely over subscribed this year. Even this consolation race went the same way and so features a full field of 28 runners. Generally, this is a difficult race to predict but might the market have it right this time around? We think so, so our tip here is nice and simple: back the jolly.
First Folio is bidding to become just the second winning favourite of the Stewards’ Sprint Handicap in 10 years. To do so, he will have to cope with the burden of the top weight but there is every chance that he will prove to be significantly better than his current rating of 98. He could be seen in Pattern company next season but for now he is still learning his trade. Winning a big field event at York last time out helped no end in that regard and First Folio’s class can see him through at Goodwood at a piece of 9/2 which certainly is not unreasonable.
2:10 European Bloodstock News British EBF Fillies’ Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 6f
George Boughey was full of praise for the hardiness of Cashew after her win in a nursery handicap at Haydock at the start of the month. The impressive young trainer said of Cashew, “she is a very tough filly who liked the [soft] ground,” before saying that he hoped she could win again. Unfortunately, they finished strung out behind her that day which forced the handicapper’s hand and she struggled to cope with the 6lb rise she was given last time out. If Boughey is right though and she is tough, then Cashew could cope better off the same mark dopped back down to 6f at Newmarket.
The rain on Friday at Newmarket is forecasted to continue into Saturday which is exactly what all connected to Cashew want. She has won both of her starts on soft ground and there is every chance that underfoot conditions could deteriorate enough for her to get her ground once again. If so, the price of 8/1 available about Cashew’s chances will look a very good one indeed.
2:30 Summer Handicap
Class 2, 1m6f
Like the first race on the card at Goodwood, the Summer Handicap looks a clash that will be tough to call and is made for each way betting. There are some good horses at the top of the betting in the shape of Nuits St Georges and My Frankel but it’s 9/1 shot On To Victory who makes the most appeal.
Alan King is in rich form having earned his first Group 1 win earlier in the week and he is great at placing his dual performers in the right races. On To Victory has done some very good work over hurdles and on the Flat, most recently when finishing second to Hukum at Goodwood in May. He returns to Goodwood nice and fresh and ready to land a blow at a generous price.
2:45 British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes
Listed, 1m4f
The market was aware that Sayyida was well treated for her handicap debut in June. She was backed into 6/5 favouritism for that run at Newmarket and features prominently in the betting once again upon her return to the track. In truth, though the price may not be the biggest slice of value ever, she is definitely the one to beat and we don’t think anything else in this contest has what it takes.
The handicapper doesn’t want Sayyida to be thrown in once again but this progressive three-year-old could still outrun her new mark of 91. The way that she fought for her win here bodes well for her chances of going in again in at 11/4 in what should be a competitive race.
3:05 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes
Group 2, 1m6f
The Lillie Langtry Stakes is one of the feature races of the day and to many it is all about one horse – Wonderful Tonight. She comes into the race on the back of three straight wins, two of which came in Group 1s and the other in a Group 2. This is not the best race that she could compete in but it feels as though David Menuisier is using this fillies and mares contest to see how well she can go on good ground.
Currently, Wonderful Tonight’s appearances are very much ground dependant, with soft absolutely vital. In truth it looks more and more like that is what she’ll get but things may yet stay slightly firmer. If she can get this done in impressive style on a firmer footing at Goodwood it will open things up but with some unpredictable showers in the forecast, she may well get soft ground by the time the race comes around. Either way, Wonderful Tonight should reward favourite backers.
3:40 Unibet Stewards’ Cup
Class 2, 6f
The Stewards’ Cup is one of the biggest betting races of the summer with 28 runners strewn across the track at Goodwood over the sprint trip of 6f. It’s fast, furious and full of betting opportunity. Three of the last 10 winners were either favourite or joint favourite but three of the last four winners went off at 20/1 or bigger, so whatever type of bet you like you might just have a chance here.
From the upper part of the market it’s Chil Chil who makes the most appeal. Andrew Balding’s five-year-old is the top weight as she makes the return to handicap company after two runs in Group company. The first of those ended in success in the Chipchase Stakes and there was no shame in finishing ninth in the July Cup last time out. She’s the class angle in the race and has every chance at a very solid price of 10/1.
When it comes to an each way Stewards’ Cup bet, Desert Safari is appealing at more than treble that, with 33/1 available for those who shop around. This is the four-year-old’s second outing at Goodwood of the week. He ran very well for third place over 5f in a handicap on Tuesday and can build on that to pick up some very welcome prize money.