Graham Cunningham looks ahead to the Thursday card at Goodwood with his World Pool plays.
Echo takes his Sussex Bow on a golden day at Goodwood
And the answer is………BOW ECHO.
Old rival Gstaad ran another screamer in the Sussex and the gaps took a fair while to come, but George Boughey’s colt produced another dramatic late surge to maintain his unbeaten record and the way he sustains his turn of foot once Billy the Kid lets him loose is something to behold.
It’s asking a lot for day three of this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival to deliver similar drama, but let’s hope the following angles prove worth following.
13:50 Coral Kincsem Heritage Handicap
Finding the right improver is usually the key in valuable three-year-old handicaps and CIARRAI ABU fills the bill after following a couple of good efforts here with a strong-finishing success over a mile at Ascot.
Bred to be well served by a step up to 2000m, he still looks very fairly treated after a 6lb rise and tops the short list ahead of runaway Lingfield winner Savvy Disko and unexposed Gosden runner Harmonics.
14:25 Markel Richmond Stakes
There isn’t much to choose between Adaay of Scarlett, Cut A Dash and Night In Vegas – who finished second, fourth and fifth in that bunched finish to the Coventry at Royal Ascot – but there’s room at the top for one stepping up in class here and FLANN SUNNA fits the bill.
The Crisfords won this with the high-class Vandeek in 2023 and Flann Sunna has looked a natural sprinter in bolting up at Windsor and Ascot. He looks more than ready for this step up in class and is the one to beat under William Buick, with the unexposed and very progressive CUT A DASH nominated as the most suitable Quinella option to pair him with.
15:00 Maison Perrier Gordon Stakes
The Gordon has an impressive roll of honour, but this renewal might not take quite so much winning as some of its predecessors and nosing on three horses at the top of the market looks sensible.
Enceladus is firmly on the up after winning a big Ascot handicap off a mark of 89, while Bay Of Brilliance flopped in the German Derby after his fine fourth at Epsom and Shaihaan had some limitations exposed when beaten double digits in the Irish equivalent.
But I’m not sure we’ve seen the best of fellow Irish raider GERYON yet.
Ger Lyons’s colt has run well in defeat against some high-class rivals on his way to this G3 test and, unlike several of Thursday’s rivals, his stamina for 2400m isn’t proven.
But Geryon shaped like a very progressive colt on his latest start, bounding clear of G3 rivals over 1800m at Leopardstown, and his finishing speed could be a valuable weapon if the early fractions aren’t especially strong here.
15:35 Qatar Nassau Stakes
The Nassau is struggling on the numbers front these days and, as we know, small fields seldom lend themselves well to finding World Pool Value.
Let’s deal with this year’s renewal briefly, then.
The unbeaten Diamond Necklace looks bound to start odds on as she bids to follow up her French Guineas and Oaks wins.
Aidan is adamant she only does what’s necessary, in which case there could be more to come, but FRIENDLY SOUL has had no luck whatsoever in two runs after a long injury absence and this could be much closer than the market suggests if the Gosden mare retains all the ability she showed to beat genuine G1 rivals in the 2024 prix de l’Opera.
16:45 Whispering Angel Nursery
An open nursery in which MIA FANTASIA and WISE AND WONDERFUL make more appeal than most.
Hugo Palmer and Oisin Murphy have been a strong combination this season and Mia Fantasia has created a positive impression on both his starts, coming from well back to win with authority at Carlisle before running well behind subsequent G2 winner Dr Rascal at Ascot.
Wise And Wonderful is progressing nicely for Andre Balding, showing an eager attitude to make all in an Epsom maiden. The third has won since to give the form a solid look and Saffie Osborne looks a strong booking with Murphy otherwise engaged for Palmer here.
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