Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips Dave Stevos
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips and Preview
It was a mixed bag for us on Tuesday. We at least landed one winner at Goodwood with Angel Bleu at 9/2. Majestic Dawn wasn’t given a great ride and could only manage 5th. Emperor of The Sun ran poorly, as did Pettochside. Tellthemi’mhere ran a big race but got intimidated turning in and faded. I thought In From The Cold was very unlucky. At least we got place money at 33s but he met trouble in running which cost him the race. Both Coins Cross and Facethepuckout ran terribly. Hopefully we can get a big one on the board tomorrow. Check out Dave Stevos’ Goodwood and Galway Wednesday tips below.
1.50 Goodwood – Unibet Handicap (Class 2)
Conditions are likely to remain testing at Goodwood on Wednesday. That won’t suit a lot of the horses in this field but one who will relish the recent rain is Recovery Run. This horse has been very highly tried this season. The reason Andrew Balding was aiming so high was because of his superb G3 effort back in October behind Lone Eagle (10f sft). Since then, things haven’t quite gone to plan. However, this testing surface may well spark him back to form.
The son of Nathaniel is out of a Pivotal mare so it is no surprise he enjoys soft ground. He did beat Lone Eagle by a head on good to firm in a maiden at Sandown but given that horse’s preference for easy ground, his effort at Newmarket when behind him was arguably even better. His handicap win came on good to soft at Ayr (8f) off 85 and he is now 11lbs higher. However, he was only beat 2.25L off 98 at Ascot last time. Off 2lbs lower, Recovery Run could go well for each way players at odds of 18/1.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Recovery Run e/w @ 18/1 5 places
2.25 Goodwood – Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3)
As the betting suggests, this Group 3 for the fillies and mares looks wide open. At a working man’s price of 20/1, Dandalla could go well. Trained by Karl Burke, this 3yo daughter of Dandy Man enjoys soft conditions. She was a Group 2 winner at Newmarket in July of last year (6f sft). While she hasn’t hit the frame yet this season, her penultimate run in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot (6f hvy) would give her every chance in this lower grade.
She didn’t back that run up at York last time out but the ground was good. Dandalla has only tried this trip once, at Newbury on her return. That too was on good ground but it was a creditable effort, finishing just 3.75L behind the winner Alcohol Free. In the Commonwealth she gave the impression that stepping up to 7f might suit and this will be her first try at the trip on soft going. 3yos have won 5 of the last 9 renewals of this race so at odds of 18/1, Dandalla is the each way pick.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Dandalla e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)
3.00 Goodwood – Molecomb Stakes (Group 3)
He may not come from the most glamorous of yards and he may not have a pedigree that jumps off the page, but Arboy Will most definitely has plenty of ability. This son of Ardad was sent off at 150/1 on debut at Windsor in April (5f gd/fm). That didn’t bother him though and he made all to score decisively by over a length. On his next outing over the same C&D he could only manage 3rd. However, he was giving 8lbs to the winner Canonized and 12lbs to the runner up so it was a pretty good effort. Canonized landed a class 2 conditions race next time and is now rated 86.
Arboy Will was handed a rating of 82 and he took full advantage last time at Lingfield (5f hvy). He made all for a cosy 1.75L win and he seemed to enjoy the conditions. His sire is a new kid on the block but his progeny have already shown they enjoy testing ground. His offspring have a 45% strike rate on soft (5/11) and given that none of his rivals even have placed form on genuinely soft ground, I think Arboy Will could go well for John Bridger and Kieran O’Neill. At odds of 25/1 a small each way bet is advised.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Arboy Will e/w @ 25/1 (4 places W Hill)
3.35 Goodwood – Sussex Stakes (Group 1)
Poetic Flare, Jim Bolger’s hardy son of Dawn Approach, returns to action for the first time since scoring in extremely impressive fashion at Ascot. The 2000 Guineas winner was runner up in the Irish version on soft/heavy but he is probably the guts of a stone better on good/good to firm. I’m not saying he can’t win on this ground, but I wouldn’t be steaming in at odds on. Snow Lantern and Alcohol Free both have heavy ground form but again, I think they are both best on better ground. The three top ones all get a nice weight for age allowance, which will help, but this is a strange aul track and I am going to side with an older horse who not only will love the ground, he is also a previous C&D winner on soft.
Century Dream, now a 7yo, has been some servant for connections. A ten time winner, including at G2 level, he deserves to win at the top level. He loves to get his toe in and it was soft when he beat Sir Busker and Regal Reality easily over a mile here last season. He has already won this term, a Listed contest at Epsom, but given his commanding win here last year I reckon connections circled this race in the calendar in the hope it would come up soft again. It has, and I think Century Dream is capable of hitting the frame at 16/1.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Century Dream e/w @ 16/1
4.35 Galway – Mares Handicap Hurdle (0-135)
The one I like in this off a mark of just 108 is Rock Chica for Tom Mullins and Conor Orr. This daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar ran a decent enough race on her last hurdle run at Tipperary (16f hvy). She won her maiden at that track too but the run that makes her of interest here is her good 2nd behind Zoffanien at Naas back in February. She tried to make all that day off 107. While she proved no match for the winner, he was running off 119 and he is now rated 142.
Rock Chica backed up that effort next time out when running really well on good to yielding at Fairyhouse off 108. Nodoubtaboutthat was only 2.5L ahead of her that day. She reopposes here (12/1) and the Mullins horse is now 7lb better off. Her yard is in great form (4 winners last 10 runners) and she’ll be piping fit from a couple of runs on the flat. Conor Orr is a classy pilot and at 18/1, hopefully he can steer Rock Chica into the money.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Rock Chica e/w @ 18/1 (5 places)
6.15 Galway – Galway Plate (Grade A)
He may be an 11yo now and he may be hard to win with, but I think Snow Falcon looks a massive price here for Meade and Flanagan. This admirable son of Presenting is one of the most consistent horses around. He has finished in the first three on five of his six runs since returning from a 5 month break and his last effort at Tramore was excellent (21f gd). He was beat just 1L by the 146 rated Ornua and it showed that he still retains plenty of ability despite his advancing years.
Despite his solid run of form the handicapper has been kind. When he returned in May he was rated 153 and he comes into The Plate off 144. That’s 4lb lower than he was for his last handicap win in the Kerry National in 2018. At Fairyhouse back in April he finished 3rd in a Grade 2 and he gave Annamix 6lbs and finished 6L ahead of him. He is now 13lbs better off with that rival who re-opposes today yet he is double his price.
Snow Falcon has only had one previous run at Galway. It came in this contest in 2018 and he ran a blinder off 148. He made a bad mistake at the 6th which cost him dearly. However, he seemed to relish the uphill finish and he stormed home for 4th. He is 4lbs lower now and if he puts in an error-free round of jumping he could nick some place money. At odds of 40/1, Snow Falcon is definitely worth chancing each way.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Snow Falcon e/w @ 40/1 Nb (6 places)
6.45 Galway – Tote Handicap Hurdle (0-123)
Another typically competitive Galway handicap hurdle and 20 go to post. An interesting one dropping back in distance is Alohamora. This 7yo son of English Channel was beat 9.75L into 3rd at Kilbeggan (25f gd) last time out, fading late having led. On her previous outing on the flat at Ballinrobe she also ran a lovely race over 13f, finishing 2nd. She is probably best on good/soft ground and the conditions at Galway should be to her liking.
Her Curragh based trainer, James Nash, has an excellent record with his Western raiders. He has had 5 winners from just 34 runners with a further 9 top 4s. Gavin Brouder claims a handy 7lbs and he was on board for this mare’s last two wins. Brouder has amassed 9 winners and 43 top 4 finishes from just 118 rides for Nash, a frame hitting strike rate of 44%. If he can get a handy lead and this mare gets into a rhythm, they could run into a place at 25/1.
Goodwood and Galway Wednesday Tips: Alohamora e/w @ 25/1 (5 places)
7.15 Galway – Tote Handicap Chase (0-140)
Ciaran Murphy has already had a winner this week and Bridge Native could go well for him here. This 10yo mare is a versatile sort. She was last sighted running a cracker on the level at Ballinrobe when beat just under 2L by St Clerans. I fancied her to run a big race at the Punchestown Festival on her last chase start. She ended up in 7th and was well beaten but subsequently it was revealed that she was in season. That is never ideal and 9/10 it has a detrimental effect on a mares’ performance.
Since then she has been kept to the flat and hurdles. That suggests to me that Murphy has been minding her mark, possibly for this race. Her record at this track is pretty decent too. She has run here five times, resulting in form figures of 93612. All ground comes alike to her but ideally, good to yielding ground would be perfect. If she can reproduce the form of her last chase win at Down Royal I can see Bridge Native running a huge race. At odds of 28/1 she is well worth backing each way.
