On to the fifth day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting we go. Unfortunately, if you've not had too much luck so far this week it doesn't get any easier now with some fiendishly difficult handicaps on the last day of the festival but with that we do get some big prices so lets have a look at the action today.
We start off with the Consolation Race For The Qatar Stewards' Cup, a handicap over 5 furlongs for horses that didn't make the cut in the big one.
My pick here is Gamesome from the Paul Midgley stable. Now, Gamesome is drawn in stall 26 but I've looked back and while the previous two years have seen low drawn winners, when the ground has been good we've had winners come from stalls 27 and 22 in the last seven years, so draw 26 may not be a huge negative.
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Gamesome has come second the last two times out but the horses he was second to went on to fight out a red-hot sprint handicap at Ascot recently so the form looks really strong.
He races here off that exact same mark so I reckon he could well be on a decent rating and this step up to six furlongs is no negative either as he has winning form at the distance. Gamesome goes on a variety of ground and he is my horse to go to war with in the opener of Goodwood's final day.
Moving on to race two, we have a three year old handicap in which I'm keen on the chances of Knights Table. This horse has won his last three races and has gone up in the handicap as a result, but the way he won at Ripon on the last day was definitely not done in the style of a horse who is in the grip of the handicapper.
Knights Table came from the rear of the field that day, not the easiest thing to do at Ripon (a front runners track) and won easily. He is again up in the weights but he was very impressive that day and I like his chances of getting a four-timer here.
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The Nassau stakes looks an absolute point and shoot race for Minding so we will leave that one alone and instead plough onto the big race of the day in terms of betting, The Stewards Cup.
The first horse I'm backing here comes from the head of the market in Toofi. I think this horse is a ticking time bomb for the Robert Cowell yard, a master trainer of sprinters.
Neither of his starts this year have done him justice at all, including when four lengths eighth of 28 to his stablemate Outback Traveller in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out.
Toofi was punted on before that race so is clearly well thought of but in the race he was simply set too much to do coming from last in the stand-side group.
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He did really well to even finish where he did that day but we can benefit here as he has actually been dropped a pound for that effort. Drawn high enough in 23, but 2 years ago the winner came from 22 and the year before that from 26, Toofi is the first selection for this one and for a second horse here I want to be with one drawn nice and low in stall three in Jamesie for David Marnane and Patt Dobbs.
Jamesie has been to Goodwood for this race before, finishing a respectable sixth place despite being quite a young horse that could have been phased by the huge handicap field that day.
Now with much more experience under his belt and some proven class in the book (beating the likes of Gordon Lord Bryon a few years back), in a lovely low draw I think Jamesie could well secure a place in this super competitive race. In a big handicap like this I really like the look of an experienced horse who will just get on with it and in Jamesie will have that.
The final selection from a wonderful week at Goodwood comes in the closing apprentice race, where I will put up Freight Train for the Mark Johnston team who have enjoyed a fruitful week at Goodwood and Mark has gone out of his way to book a top apprentice rider, and one with plenty of experience of winning big handicap races, in Louis Steward.
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Freight Train won 2 runs ago before posting a slightly disappointing effort when upped to 10 furlongs at Ripon on the last day. His stamina just faded in the final furlong of that race, having led and looked in with a chance 2 out, so this step back down in trip looks sure to suit.
Having a top jockey in these type of races is always important and we have that, so with a nice low draw I'm hoping Freight Train can end the Goodwood festival on a high.
Many thanks for reading and best of luck with your bets.
Goodwood Selections - It's an each way day!
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2.00 Gamesome e/w
2.35 Knights Table e/w
3.10 Minding Win
3.45 Toofi e/w & Jamesie e/w
6.00 Freight Train e/w
Words by: Al Bellie
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