Our racing expert Ben Linfoot had three winners from four tips on Saturday and he has five selections for day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Wednesday.
The Verdict tips: Wednesday, August 2
1pt e.w Clan Chieftain in 1.50 Goodwood at 20/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Fast Response in 2.25 Goodwood at 5/1 (General, 11/2 bet365)
1pt win Aldaary in 3.35 Goodwood at 14/1 (Bet365, Hills)
1pt e.w Never Ending in 4.45 Goodwood at 18/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Dark Thirty in 5.20 Goodwood at 17/2 (General)
Rain could spark a huge turn up in the Sussex
Significant rain could fall at Goodwood overnight if the forecasts are to be believed and we could be looking at some really testing conditions heading into day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
It would be a shame if the weather spoils it but it’s the only thing that looks like getting Paddington beat in the feature Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes as he’s already scared off some of his more likely rivals.
He’s out of a Montjeu mare that loved soft ground and he’s won on heavy himself at Naas this season, so the clear form pick is understandably 4/9 to continue his winning run.
If he handles the ground and runs to near his best he’ll win, but I always think you’ve got a chance against good horses when conditions turn extremely testing and with that in mind I’m happy to take him on at such prohibitive odds.
Facteur Cheval was considered but he was too keen over nine furlongs last time and he could be too fresh after two months off, so preference is for bona fide mudlark ALDAARY at 14/1.
William Haggas’ five-year-old wouldn’t be considered for a race like this on normal summer ground, but the conditions swing things in his favour drastically and if Paddington is below form he can be the one to take advantage.
His record on soft or heavy is 1-1-3-1-1 and they include a serious handicapping performance at Ascot and a very comfortable Listed win at Haydock.
Off for 420 days before he returned at Newmarket in July, he came on for that run when second to Master Of The Seas in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot 18 days ago where the drying ground was against him.
Still, it was a run that suggested the old engine is there when he gets his conditions and with the wet weather firmly in mind this son of Territories could be the one to cause an upset against the hot favourite.
The Verdict: Back ALDAARY in the Sussex Stakes
Back Burke’s Fast filly in the Oak Tree
In the Group 3 Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes I’d make FAST RESPONSE a clear favourite for the in-form Karl Burke and she’s worth getting onside at the general 5/1.
Progeny of Fast Company generally perform very well on testing ground and she’s certainly one of them, her record on soft or heavy reading 1-1-1-7-1-2-2.
She’s quick enough for sprint trips on heavy ground but is learning to settle since being stepped up to seven furlongs, coming on for her Musselburgh outing when running second to Holguin at Chester over the trip.
The four-year-old absolutely flew home for second at Chester after finding trouble in the run on the turn for home, looking like a filly working her way towards a career-best, and testing ground over seven at Goodwood looks ideal.
She could be a hostage to fortune from stall one, but jockey Clifford Lee is flying at the moment and however this pans out he’s taken to land his first Goodwood winner.
The Verdict: Back FAST RESPONSE in the 2.25 Goodwood
Two worth backing each-way in the handicaps
A couple look worth backing each-way in the handicaps including Ralph Beckett’s CLAN CHIEFTAIN (20/1) in the opening Coral Handicap over 1m4f.
He looked a horse to follow when accounting for Vaguely Royal (won since at Doncaster) and Seendid (won since at Newmarket) at Chepstow earlier in the campaign, but he weakened markedly when only 6th last time having been sent off 6/4 favourite.
However, that didn’t look like his true running. For starters Seendid emphatically reversed the form from Chepstow and then Beckett wasted no time in getting his wind done - which is interesting as the Kimpton trainer very rarely resorts to wind surgery (he’s two from seven with first-time wind surgery since data collection on the procedure began in 2018).
The upshot is he makes his handicap debut from a fair-looking 87 and the testing ground could be right up his street. By Gleneagles out of the Montjeu mare Pink Symphony, he’s a full-brother to Highland Chief - rated 109 at his best in the UK where he had several pieces of soft-ground form.
I’d expect Clan Cheiftain to relish conditions with that breeding and he’s worth chancing to make rapid improvement on handicap debut.
The other each-way bet I like on the card is NEVER ENDING (18/1) in the British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap at 4.45.
She’s John Gosden’s second string and Cheveley Park’s third string but she looks overpriced on the back of a forgivable fifth at Newmarket last time.
A galloper not a quickener, she was the only filly in the field at Newmarket and was left a bit flat-footed, as well as squeezed for room, by the colts and geldings as she came in four lengths adrift.
However, she can improve down 2lb in a very different scenario and while testing ground is an unknown with her, No Nay Never progeny generally handle significant cut well.
The three-year-old has a course win to her name after landing a mile novice here in June, a race that has worked out quite well, and in a race that has thrown up a few outsiders to win she’s worth an each-way play.
The Verdict: Back CLAN CHIEFTAIN in the 1.50 and NEVER ENDING in the 4.45 Goodwood
Shot on the Dark in finale
Finally, DARK THIRTY looks a fair bet at 17/2 in the closing World Pool Handicap over seven furlongs.
Richard Hannon has won this race three times in the last five years and this son of Starspangledbanner has some serious three-year-old handicap form to his name.
A winner at York off 89 in May in a race that has worked out extremely well, he then finished fourth behind Urban Sprawl at this track before bouncing back from Royal Ascot disappointment with a very good third in a heritage handicap at the July Festival behind a couple of in-form sprinters.
He handles soft ground well and he gets a 9lb pull with Urban Sprawl for less than four lengths on their running at this track earlier in the season, and off a mark of 91 he can continue his yard’s super record in this contest.
The Verdict: Back DARK THIRTY in the 5.20 Goodwood
Preview posted at 1700 BST on 01/08/23
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