2023 Galway and Goodwood Ante-Post E/W Double – DS
2023 Galway and Goodwood Ante-Post E/W Double
Traditionally, these two meetings have been a nightmare for me. However, that all changed last year. Tudor City (nb) at 22s in the Galway Hurdle, Commanche Falls (NAP) at 20s in the Stewards’ Cup and the piece de resistance, Orbaan (nb) at 33s in the Golden Mile all won for us and we landed some lovely places too. This year, I’ve decided to put up a 2023 Galway and Goodwood ante-post e/w double (with small e/w singles also recommended) and I’m hoping history might repeat itself. Check out who Dave Stevos’ fancies below.
August 2nd: 6.40 – Galway Plate Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
With 25s available, Born By The Sea looks a no brainer e/w bet off a mark of 138. Long time followers will have fond memories of this horse landing the NAP at the 2021 Galway Festival in the Blazers. We were on again last year and I’m still not sure how he managed to finish only fifth.
We backed him again at the Cheltenham Festival this year but in hindsight, that was merely a tune up run for the main event, the Aintree National. To be honest, I thought that the marathon trip would stretch his stamina but he went on to run an absolutely massive race off 143. He finished 6th, just 10l behind the winner Corach Rambler and 1.5L behind Noble Yeats in 4th.
Local Track
Not only is this horse back at his local (and favourite) track, he somehow gets to run off 138. That’s 5lbs lower than he was at Aintree and just 2lbs higher than he was when finishing off strongly for fifth in this race last year. In my opinion he is capable of running to 150 at his best around Ballybrit and a truly run contest, which this race usually is, will play to his strengths.
If Paul Gilligan can prise his son Danny away from Gordon Elliott for this race, he’ll be running off 131 with a very promising claimer on board. Otherwise, it’ll likely be Jack Gilligan that takes off 7lbs and he was on board for his Blazers win. A spin on the flat three weeks ago should have blown away the cobwebs after an 88 day break post Aintree and at odds of 25/1, Born By The Sea should run a huge race once the ground is half decent.
2023 Galway and Goodwood Tip: Born By The Sea e/w @ 25/1 (4 places 1/4 odds Boyles)
August 4th: 3.00 – Golden Mile Handicap (Heritage)
As I mentioned earlier, we backed Orbaan to win this race last season. David O’Meara’s charge won doing handstands off a mark of 87 and he surely has been trained for the race again. Goodwood is a quirky kind of track and Orbaan seems to come alive every time he runs there.
After he won off 87 here last summer he then followed up off 95 at Ascot over 7f. Back here over 7f in August he was denied by a short head off 99 so he is not handicapped out of it this year off 96. Just three runs ago at Epsom he ran a huge race to be beat 1.25L off 97 so that proved he still retained his ability.
Quiet Runs
Since Epsom he has had a couple of quiet runs. He never figured at Royal Ascot and then he shaped pretty promisingly after a slow start at Sandown last time out (beat 5.5L off 96). His career handicap form figures at Goodwood read 612 and he was very unlucky the day he finished in 6th.
Unfortunately, that can often be the case at Goodwood, especially on hold up horses. You need a bit of luck and the gaps to come at the right time but this horse seems to relish being in amongst horses in big fields and if the gaps do come, he won’t be afraid to run through them. There’s been a few quid around for him already but 33s is still available in a place or two. Even if you can only get 20s, back Orbaan e/w in the Golden Mile.
