Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips Dave Stevos
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips and Preview
We started well and finished well on Wednesday, it was everything in between that was the issue. Recovery Run landed place money for us in the first despite encountering traffic problems. In the last Bridge Native ran a blinder to nick 4th at 33/1. Dandalla was far too keen and didn’t get home. The ground wasn’t soft enough for Arboy Will and also for Century Dream. Rock Chica didn’t try a yard and Snow Falcon was too far back. Alohmora faded badly late on after trying to make all. Hopefully tomorrow is more profitable, check out Dave Stevos’ Goodwood and Galway Thursday tips below.
1.50 Goodwood – Unibet Kincsem Handicap (Class 2)
This 3yo handicap is an extremely tricky looking race and finding the winner won’t be easy. The bookies are struggling to work it out too and they have four horses chalked up at between 5/1 and 6/1. The ground is drying all the time at Goodwood and there could be good in the description by the time of this race. Of those at the head of the market, Alfaadhel, Patient Dream and King Frankel have form on good to soft in the book.
Alfaadhel flopped last time on soft but he won on good to soft at Chester in May. Is he up to overcoming a mark of 98? I am not too sure. Patient Dream is progressive and he has won 2 of his last 3. He is up to 86 from 76 but Ray Dawson’s claim means he is effectively in off the same mark as when winning at Windsor last month (10f sft).
Of those at bigger prices, Fast Steps could go well for Hannon and Hitchcott. This son of Footstepsinthesand ran well enough on good to soft last time when he was just a shade too free. The form of his Novice win at Epsom (8.5f gd) has worked out very well. Winners also came out of his 10f Novice at Nottingham. He is drawn in 10 so hopefully Hitchcott can drop in, get cover and get him settled. He may be 2lb wrong at the weights but a mark of 86 shouldn’t be beyond him on his Epsom form and at 18/1, an each way bet is recommended.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Fast Steps e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)
2.25 Goodwood – Richmond Stakes (Group 2)
Things don’t get any easier in this Group 2 sprint for the juveniles. Just the seven will go to post and you couldn’t fully discount any of them. Gis A Sub is the outsider at around 16/1 and he has an unusual pedigree. He is by a speedy sire in Acclamation yet his unraced dam is by Sholokov, a stallion that has sired top class jumpers like Don Cossack, Shishkin and Bob Olinger. It is a strange combination to say the least but it seems like he has inherited more from his dad than from his mother on the evidence of his first two runs.
First up, he missed out on victory by a nose at York (6f gd/fm). The winner and the 4th both won next time out, as did Gis A Sub. He landed the Spindrifter at Pontefract (6f gd), a class 2 conditions race, by 0.5L from Hellomydarlin. She finished 3rd in a Chantilly G2 next time out while the 3rd, Sam Maximus, was beat 0.5L by Lusail at Newmarket in the G2 July Stakes. On a line through Sam Maximus, Gis A Sub should beat Ebro River yet he is triple that fella’s price. Asymmetric and Perfect Power are feared most but at the odds, the Kevin Ryan colt is worth backing each way for small stakes, especially with Ladbrokes and Coral both paying 3 places.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Gis A Sub e/w @ 14/1 (3 places Lads/Coral)
3.00 Goodwood – Gordon Stakes (Group 3)
We have backed Belloccio twice this season and he has let us down badly. However, I am not sure he ran to form last time on the bottomless ground at Ascot. I felt it would suit him given his soft ground win in France but it was a lot deeper than that and he didn’t get home. Today’s ground should suit a lot better (maiden winner on gd/sft) and his trainer is only starting to hit top form in the past couple of weeks. In hindsight, his run at Sandown on his return wasn’t too bad when you look at what the horses that finished in front of him have gone on to do.
The winner Alenquer won a G2 at Royal Ascot, the runner up Adayar won the Derby/King George, Yibir won a G3 at Newmarket and Lone Eagle was just pipped by Hurricane Lane in the Irish Derby. I think it’s fair to say that today’s race is slightly easier. Menuisier has enlisted the services of Oisin Murphy to ride Belloccio. The Irishman has a win and two places from just 4 rides for him. Menuisier has an excellent record at Goodwood too with 10 wins and 6 places from just 37 runners. Maybe Belloccio simply hasn’t trained on but I am giving him one more chance to deliver on the clear promise he showed as a 2yo. At odds of 18/1, Belloccio is the each way selection.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Belloccio e/w @ 18/1
3.35 Goodwood – Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1)
There may only be six runners, but this G1 is an intriguing contest. Breeders’ Cup hero Audarya is the market leader for Buick and Fanshawe. She pushed Love all the way on her return at Ascot, going down by less than a length. That is arguably amongst the best form in the race and her stamina is assured. Joan Of Arc went very close in the Irish Guineas and then won a G1 at Chantilly last time out. I’m not sure that form is as strong as Audarya’s and she is worth opposing.
Lady Bowthorpe, on the other hand, has serious form in the book. She pushed Palace Pier all the way at Newbury back in May and she was desperately unlucky behind Snow Lantern, Alcohol Free and Mother Earth in the G1 Falmouth at Newmarket. The Jarvis Mare got no luck in running and she absolutely flew home for 4th. She was just a neck behind Alcohol Free and that form was franked here on Wednesday. On that evidence 10f is going to suit and hopefully she gets the rub of the green today. At odds of 7/2, a win bet on Lady Bowthorpe is recommended.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Lady Bowthorpe win @ 7/2
4.10 Goodwood – Nursery Handicap (Class 2)
The one I am backing in this 7f Nursery Handicap is Already Gone. Trained by Stan Moore, this horse really impressed me last time out at Leicester. He had shown definite signs of ability in three maiden runs, improving for each one of them. The handicapper gave him a mark of 71 and he made short work of that rating at Leicester. John Egan waited with him out the back and he kept him covered up until the 2f pole. Egan then switched to the outside and Already Gone ate up the ground and won going away by over 2L.
The handicapper hiked the son of Zoffany up to a mark of 78 but I think this horse could prove to be better than that. Egan wasn’t exactly hard on him at Leicester and it looked like there was still plenty left in the tank when they crossed the line. I am hoping that Egan utilises the same tactics again today from stall 13. There should be plenty of early pace, which will suit this horse, and I have a sneaky feeling he’ll like the track too. Drying ground is in his favour and at odds of 18/1 I think a big run could be on the cards.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Already Gone e/w @ 18/1 NB (5 Places)
5.45 Galway – Novice Chase (Grade 3)
A field of 8 will fight it out for the 17k first prize in this 18f Grade 3 Novice Chase. Henry De Bromhead’s Gin On Line is the big improver in this field. She has won her last three chases by a combined distance of 62L at 20f x2 and 18f. She enjoys nice ground so she wouldn’t want to see much rain but if conditions remain the same as they have been all week, she is most definitely the one they have to beat.
De Bromhead also runs Bold Enough, the mount of Mark Walsh. He is another progressive sort and he won his first two chases in impressive fashion. The ground should be perfect for him too and I think the form of his last win is better than Fan De Blues win at Punchestown. Druids Angel could pose the biggest threat to the De Bromhead pair. He won well at Limerick last time but he will need to improve again to win here. I am going to play the reverse forecast in this race and I think De Bromhead’s horses will fill the first two places.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Gin On Lime/Bold Enough reverse forecast
6.15 Galway – Galway Hurdle (Grade A)
Norman Lee trains his horses just half an hour down the road in Gort and I think he has a great chance of landing this massive pot with Sole Pretender. This horse came to my attention when I was studying form for the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown. Unfortunately, the ground was just a bit too soft for him and maybe the trip stretched him but he still ran a decent race to finish 5th. Lee dropped his charge into G3 company last time at Tipperary (16f gd). He duly obliged, beating the useful Darasso by 2L. He ran a cracker in the Plate on Wednesday, boosting that form.
Rather surprisingly, the handicapper left his mark alone after that excellent victory. He is in off 150 today, just 3lb higher than when beat 4L in this race two years ago. However, Lee has booked the very talented Mikey O’Connor for the ride and with his 7lb claim, Sole Pretender is effectively racing off 143. I believe that this horse is potentially a Grade 1 animal and his aggressive running style should ensure he avoids any traffic problems. Barring accidents this horse should go extremely close and he is the e/w NAP at 14/1.
Goodwood and Galway Thursday Tips: Sole Pretender e/w @ 14/1 NAP (6 places)
6.45 Galway – Guinness Handicap Hurdle (80-109)
Off a rating of 103 perhaps Lunastar can run a big race here. She is having her first run for Adrian Murray and regular partner Eoin Kelly claims 7lbs. This horse is ground dependent and she will relish the conditions at Galway. He flopped on his last start over 20f on yielding at Fairyhouse but his previous run at Leopardstown (16f gd/yld) would give him a right chance in this. He went down by a short head to Fox Fearless off 100 and it was a race he probably should have won.
Eoin Kelly was only able to claim 4lbs that day so even though he is 3lbs higher, he is effectively racing off the same mark today. His sole career win came over 20f at Gowran off 85 by 10L so he should have no issues getting home up the famous Galway hill. The one negative is that he is a hold up sort so as ever at this track, a bit of luck will be required. Even so, at odds of 22/1 Lunastar is worth a small each way interest.
