Racing
Glorious Goodwood day four tips: One Master to return to winning ways
As we reach the penultimate day of the 2020 Goodwood Festival, Steven Dowler offers his Glorious Goodwood day four tips. There’s a £7,000 Boosted Place 6 to contend with so read his tips and join his Syndicate.
Glorious Goodwood day four tips
13.10 – Handicap – 1m3f
An interesting 1m3f-handicap to start Friday’s Glorious Goodwood day four tips and I can’t resist a small stab at the William Haggas-trained AL QAQAA who showed promise on his debut when fourth behind Kinross. The form has been advertised with the first, second, third and fifth horses running to a high-standard since. The colt placed on his next couple of starts before comfortably winning at Newmarket over 1m4f by eight-lengths. His handicap debut mark of 88 looks workable and if ridden in aggressively in the same manner, he will take some catching.
CEPHEUS ran in the 2000 Guineas and then finished sixth at Royal Ascot off just a 2lb lower mark when denied a clear passage. This race is easier so if able to get a clear run down the home straight; he won’t be far away under William Buick.
Selections: AL QAQAA, CEPHEUS
13.45 – Fillies’ And Mares’ Group 3 – 7f
Evidence does suggest on a yearly basis that 3 and 4-year-old horses have the edge in this having shared the last 11 renewals. Having said that and despite being 6-year old, William Haggas looks to have located ONE MASTER a decent opportunity to regain the winning thread. She’s clear top-rated at 114 and although her best form has undoubtedly come on softer ground, she was third in last year’s Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing second in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, for which both were on quick ground so the going will be no hardship. Her last seven races have been at the highest level so the drop down in class will be welcome addition to her chances, therefore, I have doubt she will prove tough to beat back against her own sex, especially being the ONLY participant in the line-up with Group-1 winning form.
The other one I want on side is the French-trained WASMYA who has shown good form back in her own region. She was well behind One Master in a Group-1 last year, but the ground might have been a little too sticky for her. Her reappearance when second in a Listed race was a step back in the right direction, and I thought her sixth at Royal Ascot behind Nazeef was better than the bare result suggested. Clearly, she’s a fast-ground horse and with UK course experience under her belt, she could represent some nice value at double-digits with James Doyle booked for the ride.
Finally, GRACEFUL MAGIC was a little disappointing when only fourth last time out in a class 2 event, but the form has taken a boost with the runner-up winning well at this meeting earlier in the week. Eve Johnson Houghton’s admirable mare will love the likely good to firm ground having shown her best form on that surface. So, those go too fast up front, there is a fair chance she will be running on to pick up the minor honours from her good draw.
Selections: ONE MASTER, WASMYA, GRACEFUL MAGIC
14.15 – Group 3 Stakes – 1m
Just the five runners go to post for this 1-mile Group 3 contest. All of my followers who take the time to read my articles for the Colossus team will know I’m a big fan of KHALOOSY who will no doubt start odds-on favourite for this Group-3 contest on the back of a demolition job in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot. Being the top-rated at 111 and 6lb clear of anything else in the field, this beautiful-looking 3-year old has won his last two races with considerable ease, and the manner in which he romped to Royal Ascot glory indicated he’s a pattern-horse in waiting. He should take the world of beating representing the Jim Crowley and Maktoum team who have had a terrific season thus far.
With Khaloosy being the likely winner, I wouldn’t rule out MYSTERY POWER who I will probably be happy to support each-way at the prices. Richard Hannon’s colt comes out second best on official rating at 105 having already ran some decent races for connections. He looked to be going nowhere last time out behind Al Suhail at Newmarket but finished with a flourish to take the runner-up spot. My initial reaction was he’d be seen to better effect back on a fast surface and the last time he raced on good to firm, he was beaten just 1-length by Pierre Lapin when giving that horse 3lb. If the favourite somehow fluffs his lines, I can envisage him being the one to take advantage at appealing odds.
Selections: KHALOOSY, MYSTERY POWER
14.45 – Handicap – 1m
This looks a good race as you could easily make some sort of case for the majority of the field.
WILLIE JOHN is lightly raced for a 5-year old, hence why we’ve only seen him eight times in his career. I think this could be a shrewd bit of placing by Roger Varian with his runner Willie John balancing on a lenient-looking mark of 100. There is an obvious element of risk attached with his last three outings not inspiring much confidence, but there have been valid excuses including when drawn on the wrong side of the track at Royal Ascot. His course experience is also a plus having finished second behind Elarqam in a Listed race last year here on similar ground and the first, third and fourth are all now rated 110+ making him well-handicapped off a mark of 100 for this race. I strongly suspect this has been a long-term target so I’m willing to take a chance.
The bottom-weight PROMPTING is improving and the way he won last week suggests he’s well worth a crack at this grade. He stays the far, will relish the forecast ground and has the in-form Harry Bentley booked to ride. While, MONTATHAM comes here after three excellent runs in high-class handicaps and did well to gain revenge on Dark Vision last time out despite pulling hard. The drying ground will suit and if he can overcome stall 15 he must go well.
BALTIC BARRON looks very well-treated off a mark of 94. He was a close-up fifth in the Royal Hunt Cup off 3lb higher and got a massive weight pull with the likes of Montatham. Good ground over 1-mile is exactly what he needs, and he wasn’t beaten far in this last year when fifth off 3lb higher where he was unlucky having been denied a clear run on more than one occasion. The addition of blinkers looks a good move and I suspect he’s the overpriced horse with a good chance of winning this.
Selections: WILLIE JOHN, BALTIC BARRON, PROMPTING, MONTATHAM
15.15 – King George Stakes – 5f
The “batmobile” BATTAASH should take the world of beating in this race as he bids to win it for the fourth consecutive year. He’s one of the best sprinters we have ever witnessed and he is pretty much unbeatable when on his A game. His pre-race antics looks to have been polished up now he’s older and more mature, so on the face it, his class should once again prove decisive being the clear top-rated at 126 with the fast ground being right up his street.
Battaash’s only real danger looks to be LIBERTY BEACH who has also developed into a top-class sprinter herself and was a comfortable winner of the Molecomb at this meeting last year. John Quinn’s filly was only around two-lengths behind Battaash in the Group-1 Kings Stand at Royal Ascot when an excellent third. Interestingly, she gets even more weight from the fastest horse around this time around, and her form figures on good to firm ground reads 1, 1, 1, 2 and 2. That speaks volumes on the chances of this improving-consistent filly, therefore, I’m pretty confident will fill the runner-up spot at the very least.
Selections: BATTAASH, LIBERTY BEACH
15.45 – Glorious Stakes – 1m3f
Only a small field assembled for the final race on our preview and there is likely to be plenty of pace on the front-end. That will suit the David Simcock-trained DESERT ENCOUNTER who won this race twelve months ago and has been trained for the race again. He’s still showing a good level of form despite his advancing years and being a former Group-1 winner. The ground will suit and he has every chance of collecting the prize again especially knowing a few of these will likely cut each other’s throat up front which will set the race up perfectly for this typically-late closer.
PABLO ESCOBARR has won at the track previously, handles decent ground and is consistent as they come. He’s least exposed then most so there is plenty of room for improvement and he could prove hard to pass if able to dictate matters, but even if he can’t, he will race up with the pace and Tom Marquand will try to wind things up with two furlongs to run and that trait could well see him come out on top.
Selections: DESERT ENCOUNTER, PABLO ESCOBARR
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