Ben Linfoot looks at the Height Of Fashion and Cocked Hat Stakes as Oaks and Derby trials before going through the main contenders for the Goodwood races on Friday.
In keeping with all things 2020 last year’s Derby winner, Serpentine, came from leftfield. His Epsom prep came at the Curragh exactly a week before where he won in maiden company by nine lengths, but, as you would expect, such a step was the exception to the norm.
Prior to him the ones that ran closest to their Epsom Classic victories this century were Qualify and Minding, who both ran in the Irish 1,000 Guineas 12 days prior to their Oaks successes.
But if we’re talking English trials for Epsom, the Height Of Fashion Stakes for the fillies and the Cocked Hat Stakes for the colts, two Listed races at Goodwood on Friday, are very much the last chance saloon for British-trained hopefuls to stake their claims for Oaks and Derby glory.
Both races were established in the 1970s and the Cocked Hat was given an early boost by Troy, who won the Goodwood race in 1979 before he stormed to Derby glory by seven lengths under Willie Carson for Dick Hern a few weeks later.
He remains the only horse to win both races but the Goodwood trials have enjoyed a bit of a renaissance this century.
Love Divine landed the Height Of Fashion Stakes for Sir Henry Cecil in 2000, 16 days before she won the Oaks, and there was exactly the same timeframe between the two races when Snow Fairy did the double for Ed Dunlop in 2010.
Other fillies to have run well in defeat at Epsom after trialling at Goodwood include Something Exciting, runner-up in the Classic after beating Thakafaat in Sussex in 2005, while a year later Rising Cross, who dead-heated with Soft Centre in the Height Of Fashion, finished second to Alexandrova in the Oaks.
The most recent placed filly in the Oaks who ran at Goodwood was Luca Cumani’s Lady Of Dubai in 2015, with the daughter of Dubawi finishing third at Epsom behind Qualify after winning the Height Of Fashion by over three lengths in great style.
Meanwhile, placed horses in the Derby who ran in the Cocked Hat were a real rarity but they have popped up more frequently in the last decade or so.
In 2010 Rewilding backed up his four-length Cocked Hat victory with a Derby third behind Workforce at Epsom, a feat that was matched by 16/1 chance Storm The Stars five years later in Golden Horn’s renewal for William Haggas.
And then there was last year. We lost the Height Of Fashion as the calendar underwent a hefty rejig, but the Cocked Hat was run 16 days before the Derby and the neck winner, Khalifa Sat, went on to be runner-up at Epsom at 50/1.
So, while the Goodwood races are considered lesser Classic trials than say the races at Chester, York and Lingfield, they are an opportunity to slide into the Derby and the Oaks via the back door and this year looks no different, with the colts at least.
British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes (3.25 Goodwood)
Click here for full racecard and free video form
Three of the six-strong Cocked Hat field are still in the Cazoo Derby; Lone Eagle, Yibir and Stay Well with the first two named on retrieval missions while the latter brings unexposed intrigue to the party.
They look the trio worth concentrating on with the Derby in mind as the other form horse, Aleas, is a gelding and can’t run at Epsom, while the remaining pair, Man Of Riddles and Gentleman Joe, would have to be supplemented if they did something extraordinary on Friday.
STAY WELL
Hughie Morrison’s horse is the interesting one. 50/1 in places for Epsom and bigger on the Betfair Exchange, he has a touch of the same stable’s Telecaster about him and, while that horse flopped at Epsom, he went there with a good chance after dominating the Dante.
Stay Well would have to win very impressively at Goodwood to be talked of in those terms, but the reason for the Telecaster comparison is that he absolutely bolted up in a Windsor maiden in very similar fashion to the 2019 Dante winner when he was last seen on April 26.
He won by eight lengths easily and the time stacked up well with the following 10-furlong handicap on the card, so he comes into this with high hopes as his market position of favourite for the Cocked Hat would suggest.
The form of his Windsor success has taken a few knocks, but he couldn’t have done it any easier and this looks a good next step for him. By Iffraaj, his sire wouldn’t be renowned for producing 1m4f horses, but he’s well covered on his dam’s side on that score and if any horse is going to lob their hat into the Epsom ring on Friday it’s likely to be him.
LONE EAGLE
Having backed Lone Eagle for the Derby after his highly-promising two-year-old campaign I began licking some ante-post inflicted wounds when he could only manage fourth to Alenquer in the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown on April 23.
Perhaps 10 furlongs on good ground around Sandown wasn’t a sufficient test of stamina, as he looks a strong stayer judging by his Zetland win over the same distance in soft ground at Newmarket at two.
The problem is, he brings that Group 3 penalty into this race, so he has to give 5lb to the field, and that makes life tough for all that 1m3f in soft ground at Goodwood could be a nice platform for him to show off what he’s really all about.
If he could defy the penalty in good style his Derby claims might have to be reassessed, but it would be further evidence that he might well need testing conditions to produce his very best and that Sandown defeat on good ground would still linger.
YIBIR
The Sandown form was let down by Yibir at Chester. Charlie Appleby’s horse finished a place and three and three quarter lengths in front of Lone Eagle in the Classic Trial but was beaten by nearly six lengths by El Drama in the Dee Stakes.
A promising juvenile and well-related being a full-brother to Group One winner Wild Illusion, his lack of progression at three has been a bit disappointing and the cheekpieces that served his sister so well have been dispensed with after the failed experiment on the Roodee.
The step up to 1m3f on soft ground could help and his sister loved Goodwood when she landed the Nassau Stakes in great style, but the evidence so far this season is that he’s nowhere near her level ability-wise and he needs to step up significantly here.
Height Of Fashion Stakes (2.15 Goodwood)
Click here for full racecard and free video form
There’s a sticking point with the Height Of Fashion Stakes; none of the eight fillies in the Goodwood line-up have been left in the Cazoo Oaks.
Of course, there will be the chance to supplement at the six-day stage should one of them put in a barnstorming performance that screams Oaks contender - should connections be willing to stump up the reduced supplementary fee of £22,500.
That looks unlikely, but the race could house a Ribblesdale or Nassau-type filly and the trio of horses at the top of the betting look particularly interesting for the future.
READY TO VENTURE
The 10-furlong trip in the Height Of Fashion Stakes could be ideal for Ready To Venture.
She reappeared in a hot race at Ascot over a mile last time and ran on nicely to finish third behind Creative Flair, who franked the form with a good second behind Primo Bacio in the Michael Seely Memorial race at York.
By Kingman and out of the William Haggas-trained Wonderstruck who stayed 1m4f well, Ready To Venture has Group One entries in both the Pretty Polly and Irish Oaks at the Curragh and Friday’s race should go a long way in determining the path that she’ll take.
LADY HAYES
With no fancy entries Lady Hayes could be the ‘now’ horse with black type the aim.
You wouldn’t expect her to be trying middle-distances being by Kodiac but she’s out of a Hurricane Run mare and has plenty of stamina on the dam’s side of the pedigree.
She’ll have to settle better than she did in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket if she’s to progress here, but with that run under her belt she could do and the Roger Varian yard remains in great nick.
TALBEYAH
Others that we haven’t mentioned have stronger form claims than Talbeyah but she trumps them given what she could achieve considering her breeding and the promise of her Chepstow win.
By Lope De Vega out of Thai Haku, a French Listed winner over a mile, she’s related to horses that stayed a mile and a half and she certainly ran like she’d get this 1m3f trip easily when tanking to victory in Wales.
She travelled like a classy filly that day and the runner-up, Amy Beach, who was six lengths behind, has franked the form with a win at Salisbury subsequently.
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing columnists
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
