Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond reflects on the King George and looks ahead to the Goodwood highlights in her latest blog.
Calandagan grabbed the King George honours at the weekend - what do you make of a potential clash between him, Delacroix, and Ombudsman at York next month?
Calandagan is finally showing us what he’s made of and he’s made of serious stuff. The acceleration he showed inside the finally two furlongs to reel in Kalpana was a performance of the highest class and given optimum conditions he’s an absolute monster. He can’t run in the Arc because he’s a gelding but wherever he does run he’s going to be hard to beat. He possesses such an impressive turn of foot that the York race will be right up his street. He ran City Of Troy closest in the race last year despite having a monumental task from the rear the way the race panned out. This year the opposition could be just as strong, but I’d be happy enough to have him on my side. Certainly, at the 4/1 that Sky Bet have him at currently. Delacroix is 2/1 favourite with Ombudsman joint second favourite at 11/4 with Field Of Gold.
Does Kalpana deserve to head the revised Arc betting or is there something else on your radar for the Paris showpiece later in the year?
She absolutely does. As a filly she gets a weight allowance in the Arc and she’s a serious physical specimen with huge power, so has the robustness to take on the colts, and at the age of four will be maturing into that frame. She won’t be inconvenienced by softer ground conditions at ParisLongchamp either and in fact will be more at home on a softer surface. She was catapulted to Arc favouritism after this performance and is 8/1 market leader with Sky Bet with good reason.
Can Rosallion, or any other rival for that matter, give Field Of Gold a race of it in the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday?
This is a clash to savour, but I’m torn emotionally as I adore Rosallion, but in all honesty I can’t see anything beating Field Of Gold. As a three-year-old he gets an 8lb weight for age allowance and his price reflects his strong claims in this Group 1. When Baaeed won this in 2022 he was a 1/6 favourite, so Field Of Gold may seem value to some at 4/11 with Sky Bet!
And give us another name or two to keep an eye on for the remainder of the week.
I’m really looking forward to seeing Merchant in Thursday’s Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Highclere’s manager Harry Herbert joined us on Sky Sports Racing at Royal Ascot and told us that trainer William Haggas had asked if he could enter this horse in last weekend’s King George at Ascot.
That was a serious vote of confidence for the colt who at the time had just won the Sky Bet Handicap at York’s Dante meeting. He subsequently won the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot in an impressive manner given the running of that contest and takes the step up in class now to this group 3. The Ascot group 1 would have been a step too far for Merchant at that stage of his career, but he can win this enroute to bigger targets.
The vibes around Zelaina prior to her run in the Queen Mary last month were positive and she should be suited by the test of the Alice Keppel Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday. She has speed to burn and should take some beating in this. Such is her precocious speed that her trainer Karl Burke has entered her for the group 1 Nunthorpe at York for which she is currently a 20/1 shot with Sky Bet.
The six furlongs at Goodwood might be right up Havana Hurricane’s street and he is entered in the Richmond Stakes over that trip on Thursday. Just touched off in the Super Sprint last time out, he had experience of the trip when finishing second in the Woodcote at Epsom and his trainer Eve Johnson Houghton has the Midas touch with her two years olds currently.
It’s all about Whirl for me in Thursday’s Nassau Stakes after the Oaks runner up won the Pretty Polly over this mile and a quarter trip last time out. Who was runner up to her that day? Kalpana no less and Whirl can add another group 1 to her record here.
Going back to the sprinters and Ruby’s Profit will appreciate the return to this course and distance in the Buccellati Handicap on Thursday. If she gets to the front, she’ll be hard to reel back in.
A horse with a Group 1 entry making its handicap debut is one to watch and American Gulf falls into that category in Thursday’s seven-furlong nursery. The winner of a Windsor novice before running in the Coventry at Royal Ascot, this is infinitely easier, and he was fancied by some for the latter.
Cosmic Year ran too badly to be true in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville last time out and I’d hope he can bounce back in Friday’s Thoroughbred Stakes. He’s back up to a mile which might not play to his strengths, but he should hopefully run better, nonetheless. He’s a talented colt.
It takes a talented three year old to win the Steward’s Cup but Hammer The Hammer has plenty of that. At the time of writing, no draw has been made, and the final field isn’t known, but he’s one to watch if the pendulum swings in his favour.
Away from specifics there’s been a positive shift in the form of the Charlie Johnston stable recently and historically the stable has always excelled at this meeting. It’s worth taking note of their runners across the week at Glorious Goodwood as something could pop up at a decent price, it often does.
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