Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It’s the last day of a not so Glorious Goodwood, the weather has been absolutely atrocious on the Sussex Downs but the racing has been far from a washout even if it has thrown up some curious results with big-priced winners coming home.
I don’t think Saturday will be any different as the Stewards Cup has had four winners priced at 20/1 or bigger in the last six years. The card also features a consolation race for those horses that didn’t make the cut for the Stewards Cup, a fillies and mares Group 2 and a further handicap.
The backup meeting is at Newmarket with another fillies and mares race and a nursery handicap and that card does not look that exciting. So there are just six races to choose from this week, four of which are handicaps and it is those I will be concentrating on for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Newmarket. Snafiya
1.50 Goodwood. Gis A Sub
2.25 Goodwood. Splendent
3.35 Goodwood. Badri
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
I will begin with the first race on the Newmarket card, the British EBF Ruby Jubilee Fillies Nursery Handicap run over 6 furlongs. Top weight is Tom Ward’s Woodhay Wonder who won at Newbury in June then came here to Newmarket and was a well beaten third in a Group 2. She drops back to handicaps here.
Hugo Palmer’s Tierney was a big priced winner at Haydock in July after showing very little in her first three outings. Has the penny finally dropped?
Ralph Beckett’s course and distance winner Say Hello returns here after her victory last week when she ran in blinkers for the first time.
Hollie Doyle takes the mount again on Archie Watson’s Defying Orders after they were victorious at Lingfield last month but this is much tougher.
I like Alice Haynes’s Snafiya who has won her last two at Doncaster and Thirsk both times on soft going. And although she is upped in class, I like that she is able to handle the potential soft ground.
Moving to not-so-Glorious Goodwood, let’s hope the weather improves by Saturday for the racing which begins at 1.50 with the Coral Stewards Sprint Handicap. This 5-furlong contest is a consolation race for those who did not make the cut for the Stewards Cup. One of the top weights is Harry and Roger Johnston’s Zaman Jemil who was victorious last time out at Thirsk but he has a 6lb penalty for that win.
Richard Fahey’s Monsieur Kodi has had another good season winning a couple of lowly-rated handicaps but he could only manage third when upped in class on his penultimate start. He reverted to Class 4 last time at Yarmouth and finished a close up third once again. That said, he may be placed once again.
Amanda Perrett’s Count Otto comes here looking for his hat trick after wins at Epsom and Windsor. He carries a penalty but he’s a smart cookie having won three times at this class, he will go close.
Michael Blake’s Under The Twilight has won twice this season but disappointed when going off favourite last month at Newmarket.
I will go for a big outsider with Kevin Ryan’s Gis A Sub who has been running in some top-rated handicaps. He ran a good fourth at Haydock last month and has more ability than his form suggests.
At 2.25 it is the Coral Summer Handicap, a Class 2 contest run over 1m 6f. Top of the weights is Alan King’s HMS President who has had a good season to date winning once and runner-up twice in three outings. He is a past course winner and can go close.
The favourite is likely to be John and Thady Gosden’s Sweet William who won at Newbury last month, a race where Jim Goldie’s Euchen Glen was 8th, the drop back in trip should be no problem and he will be close.
Tim Easterby’s Mr Curiosity won at Ripon last month on soft going but is upped in trip here.
Gary Moore’s bottom weight He’s A Latchico has won four of his last five but he moves up in class after his latest win at Sandown.
My preference is for Paul and Oliver Cole’s Splendent who won comfortably at Newbury in June. He had won on soft going at Windsor earlier in the season and should be able to cope with the extra distance he is asked to run here.
The big handicap of the day is the Coral Stewards Cup at 3.35. This Class 2 sprint over 6 furlongs with 28 runners is always a spectacle with some of the top handicap sprinters involved.
Andrew Balding’s King’s Lynn owned by The King has top weight but the former Group winner has struggled under high weights after dropping to these top-class handicaps.
Charles Hills’ Tanmawwy won at Windsor in early July but he won’t relish any give underfoot.
Hills other runner Orazio won at Ascot and Newmarket in the spring and then ran a creditable 6th at Royal Ascot in June, he can go well here.
David O’Meara’s Aberama Gold was a fine winner last week at York adding to two earlier victories in the season however he has a 6lb penalty for that win and that may hold him back.
O’Meara’s other runner Summerghand won this in 2020 and he ran a fine fourth at York last week but he is a 9-year-old now and prefers good going.
John Quinn’s Mr Wagyu has won some top-rated handicaps in his time and is a course and distance winner on soft going here at Goodwood but he is getting long in the tooth now.
I will side with Ruth Carr’s Badri who ran a fine second at Ascot in mid-July. He had a fine win at Epsom at the Derby meeting. The going should not trouble him as he has won six times on the all-weather. I give him every chance here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Newmarket. Snafiya
1.50 Goodwood. Gis A Sub
2.25 Goodwood. Splendent
3.35 Goodwood. Badri
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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