16:50 Goodwood

Saturday 4 August 2018

All13:5014:2515:0015:4016:1516:5017:25

Qatar Handicap

Off time: 16:52 | Winning time: 1m 24.46s

(10)

Tangled²³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Gary Mahon⁽⁵⁾| T: R Hannon| OR: 98| D

18/1

Won nursery at Newmarket and valuable sales race at York. Better effort this term when seventh of 12 in listed race at Newmarket last month, but needs to take another step forward to be competitive.

Form: 32-0007

(1)

Zap⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: P Hanagan| T: R A Fahey| OR: 97| D

6/1

Improved to land a Newmarket handicap on penultimate start, and first home in unfavoured group when 1½L ninth of 27 to Burnt Sugar in International Stakes at Ascot last time. One to bear in mind from advantageous draw.

Form: 290719

(9)

Vale Of Kent³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 95| BF| D

5/2

Has won two of his last four starts, and found further improvement when doing best of the three-year-olds in a C&D handicap on Wednesday, beaten just a neck by Medahim. Likely to go well turned out quickly.

Form: 381612

(2)

Restive Spirit²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: W J Haggas| OR: 93

11/4

Unraced at two, and has only won a maiden race from three starts to date: did so impressively at Ripon last time, however, and ultra-shrewd yard won this race last year with Battered. Needs utmost respect on handicap debut.

Form: 421

(4)

On The Warpath³⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-13| J: W Buick| T: C Appleby| OR: 92| BF| D

7/1

Dual winner on Fibresand in the winter for Sir Mark Prescott, and encouraging start for new yard when 2¼L fifth of 8 to Aces in handicap at Newmarket last time. Will improve for that spin, and hard to rule out.

Form: 4211-5

(6)

Nicklaus⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Charles Bishop| T: W J Haggas| OR: 88| D

7/1

Back to winning ways when readily landing a Newbury handicap last month, and had no trouble following up in 4-runner affair at Salisbury a week ago. This is much harder, but he's clearly at the top of his game.

Form: 1-75411

(5)

Rum Runner⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: David Probert| T: R Hannon| OR: 87| D

14/1

Both his wins have come at Sandown and not disgraced back at that course on penultimate start. Did too much in front at Ascot a week ago, but not easy to dominate here, and others more compelling.

Form: 17-5180

(7)

Queen's Sargent⁴⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-6| J: J P Sullivan| T: K A Ryan| OR: 85| D

20/1

Runner-up in a valuable nursery at York in August and not beaten far in 7f handicap at same track in May; no obvious excuse there, however, and he ran poorly dropped to 6f last time

Form: 428-160

(11)

Bombastic³⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: William Cox⁽⁵⁾| T: E De Giles| OR: 84

20/1

Made all in game style at Haydock in May, but seen to maximum effect there, and has struggled off higher marks since, and looks to face another tough task here.

Form: 24-6188

(8)

Chai Chai²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-4| J: Yuga Kawada| T: A M Balding| OR: 83| D

14/1

Had looked fairly exposed until producing a career-best effort to win at Chester last time, although leaders went off to hard there, and he may be flattered by the margin of victory.

Form: 18-3551

Non-Runners

(3)

Lake Volta¹⁴

Weight: 9-7| Age: 3

T: C & M Johnston J: S De Sousa

Forecasts

Vale Of Kent (5/2), Restive Spirit (11/4), Zap (6/1), On The Warpath (7/1), Nicklaus (7/1), Lake Volta (10/1), Chai Chai (14/1), Rum Runner (14/1), Tangled (18/1), Bombastic (20/1), Queen's Sargent (20/1)

Vale of Kent fared best of the three-year-olds when a neck second over C&D earlier in the week, and he should go well again if turned out quickly, but preference is for ZAP, who ran a stormer on the wrong side of the track in last weekend's International Stakes at Ascot, and is clearly on a workable mark on that evidence. Restive Spirit makes his handicap debut for last year's winning stable, and had plenty to spare at Ripon last time, so needs the utmost respect.