Andrew Asquith returns with his Sunday column and has two selections at Goodwood.
Sunday View Tips: Sunday August 29
1pt win Principality in 14:00 Goodwood at 6/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Strike Red in 14:35 Goodwood at 10/1 (Paddy Power, Sky Bet, bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4)
It'll be tough going at Goodwood this Sunday and hopefully that won’t bother PRINCIPALITY in the Virgin Bet Handicap.
He’s a likeable type who has won on ground Timeform described as good to soft over this course and distance at Glorious Goodwood last year and he is also a good ground winner at Nottingham this season.
Principality produced a career-best effort when resuming winning ways at Newmarket recently in a useful, wide-open handicap and, though he may have fared well with the draw on that occasion (the first three came from stalls 1, 2 and 3), I thought he was a shade cosily on top at the line.
He had to make quite a bit of ground up from the rear of the field, but did so comfortably, and he always looked the winner when produced to challenge over a furlong out, his customary late surge once again in full effect.
His record at Goodwood is also a good one, as well as the aforementioned win he was also successful over six furlongs at this course as a juvenile, and a subsequent 2lb rise doesn’t handicap him out of proceedings in a race which probably isn’t anymore competitive than the one at Newmarket last time.
Kaiya Fraser got a good tune out of him last time and retains the ride, so that is another plus, and there should be enough pace on as several of these like to race prominently. Harry Eustace is on for a record-breaking season and continues in good form, so Principality seems sure to launch another bold bid.
One horse who will certainly relish the softer ground is STRIKE RED in the Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Handicap.
Saying that, both of his wins this season have come on ground Timeform described as good to firm, but he's long been a horse who handles the mud, and he remains well handicapped on the pick of his efforts.
He may not be a smart sprinter nowadays, but he’s certainly very useful, as he proved when beating the reopposing Ferrous by a nose at Leicester last month. Strike Red went with plenty of verve in the early stages that day and he’s probably worth being credited with a bit extra given the race started to unfold away from him.
You also have to admire his attitude at the age of eight, briefly looking like he was booked for second before shifting into another gear near the line, and once he got upsides Ferrous the hunger was there to go past.
The third has won since to boost the form and we haven’t seen Strike Red since because he was balloted out of the Stewards’ Cup and he didn’t get in at York last week, either.
He finished runner-up to Two Tribes in the Stewards’ Cup last season from a mark of 94, so he’s still well handicapped in theory arriving here from a mark of 91, especially with likelihood of slower ground, and everything looks set for another big run.
Published at 15:00 BST on 29/08/26
More from Sporting Life
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.
