Whirl wins the Musidora

Glorious Goodwood Tips: Thursday Q&A including Nassau Stakes

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat July 26, 2025 · 5M ago

Our experts answer some of the key questions following the six-day confirmations for Thursday's racing at Glorious Goodwood.

Who goes off favourite for the Nassau Stakes?

Matt Brocklebank: It’s a close call as things stand at the five-day stage, Aidan O’Brien’s Whirl just edging top spot in the market over four-year-old See The Fire. Without having a massively strong view, I’d be inclined to agree with that way of thinking as it was an O’Brien-trained three-year-old filly in Opera Singer who beat See The Fire in this race 12 months ago, and I reckon Whirl has already achieved more than that one had at the same stage of her career. Whirl’s Pretty Polly defeat of Kalpana could obviously get a very timely boost at Ascot on Saturday, and it could be argued that she was a shade unlucky not to beat stablemate Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom the time before.

Ben Linfoot: You can never underestimate the strength of support for one from Aidan O'Brien's and there seems to be a lot of positivity around Whirl. If Kalpana wins the King George I’d say she’ll be certain to go off favourite but either way I’d personally have See The Fire as the one to beat in the race. I thought she ran well in the Prince Of Wales’s as I’m far from convinced Ascot is her track. She’s more of a York or Goodwood filly to me and after going so close in last year’s Nassau she’ll hold strong claims of going one better, even in the face of likely support for Whirl.

Whirl beats Kalpana at the Curragh

Is Gordon favourite Merchant on his way to the top table?

Matt Brocklebank: I suspect he probably is and this just looks a wonderful piece of placement from trainer William Haggas. His handicap form from York at the Dante meeting continues to work out strongly and it was fascinating to hear post-race just how troubled a preparation Merchant had had prior to winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot. He looks well worth his revised rating of 103 and can take the next step here in against a few horses with quite significant questions to answer.

Ben Linfoot: Yes, William Haggas’ colt looks a serious contender for a big prize in the second half of this season and maybe next year, too. It’s no real surprise his trainer resisted the lure of the King George to come here and take another gradual stepping stone on his way to Group 1 company and he can likely take this before he is stepped up in class. Old rival Rahiebb would be an interesting opponent if he turns up but I wonder if Roger Varian might swerve another meeting with Merchant in favour of going for the Great Voltigeur. They're two nice colts to keep an eye on in the latter part of the campaign.

Any early thoughts in the Richmond?

Matt Brocklebank: With no Andrew Balding entry, it is quite interesting to see Oisin Murphy booked on John O’Donoghue’s gelding Nuevo Slovo, who ran a huge race in sixth under Colin Keane in the Windsor Castle last month. He should probably have finished a bit closer too as he didn’t get a particularly clear passage around two furlongs from home, before finishing like one who would relish a step up to six furlongs. He gets that here and has the potential to shorten quite a bit from the early 20/1 being dangled by some of the layers.

Ben Linfoot: Clive Cox has won the Richmond a couple of times and he looks to have a big player again this year in Coppull. Quite a few of the Richmond horses are doubly entered at Goodwood, the likes of Zavateri and Havana Hurricane, but it looks all about six furlongs at this stage for the son of Bated Breath. He ran a huge race to be third in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot after being keen early on and it would be no surprise if he took another step forward here for a trainer who is excellent with this type of horse.

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Give us one on the radar for the handicaps on day three?

Matt Brocklebank: Balding’s progressive two-year-old Sir Albert leaps off the page in the seven-furlong nursery but we’ll have to wait and see how the market shapes up closer to the time and likewise for the Buccellati Handicap, in which Mick Appleby’s Nad Alshiba Green looks a dead obvious one on the back of her near-miss at Sandown last time. That’s a rare race that jockey Rossa Ryan would probably like another crack at he’s already jocked up on the grey again next week.

Ben Linfoot: Marhaba Ghaiyyath could sign off for Charlie Johnston with victory in the opening handicap – a race Mark Johnston used to target, winning it with Communique and Qaader in 2018 and 2021. This colt is off to Australia but he shaped in second at Newmarket like a horse that had a big handicap in him and off a 6lb higher mark it's no wonder his stable have pointed him here. If he gets a good draw you can imagine him being ridden prominently and it's likely he’s progressing at a quicker rate than an awful lot of his rivals in this race.

Glorious Goodwood Tips: Thursday Q&A including Nassau Stakes

Who goes off favourite for the Nassau Stakes?

Is Gordon favourite Merchant on his way to the top table?

Any early thoughts in the Richmond?

Give us one on the radar for the handicaps on day three?

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