Glorious Goodwood Best Bets
Tuesday, 30th July, sees the latest racing summer showstopper loom into view as the five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival kicks into gear. The seasonal highlight at the Sussex venue serves up 35 cracking contests for our punting pleasure, including 13 quality events rated at Group 3 level or above.
We have much to look forward to at what is always one of the most exciting meetings of the season, and here we pick out our best bets in four of the signature contests.
Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes – Tuesday, 3:35pm
This Group 1 contest for the stayers takes centre stage on Day 1, with a small but select field assembling for this 2m affair. Andrew Balding’s Coltrane is among the familiar names on show and looked as well as ever when landing the Sagaro Stakes over this trip two starts back. However, he wasn’t as good in the Ascot Gold Cup last time and has managed only third and fourth in the past two editions of this race.
The John Gosden duo of Gregory and Sweet William are the most appealing options for each-way punters, with preference for the latter, who has won at this track and ran well for third at Ascot last time. However, with only two places to play for, we will keep this simple and side with the current king of the staying division.
Getting the best of Stradivarius to land a thrilling 2022 edition of this race, Kyprios has since added an Irish St. Leger, the Prix du Cadran, and a second Ascot Gold Cup to his Group 1 haul. Now over the injuries which curtailed much of his 2023 campaign, the Aidan O’Brien star is the class act in the field and looks very tough to beat.
- Recommended Bet - Kyprios to win @ 8/15 with Betfred
Qatar Sussex Stakes – Wednesday, 3:35pm
One of the leading 1m events of the season takes top-billing on Day 2 as the best of the Classic generation tackle their elders in the Sussex Stakes. Baeed and Paddington landed the 2022 and 2023 editions at odds-on, and we have a hot favourite again this year in the shape of St. James’s Palace Stakes hero Rosallion.
Labelled by his Richard Hannon as one of the most talented runners to ever emerge from his Wiltshire base, Rosallion already has two Group 1 wins this season and may prove tough to stop in his bid for a third. He’s a horse we like, but given his hold-up style, we are a little reluctant to support him at a track which is no stranger to traffic problems.
2000 Guineas camp Notable Speech flopped in the St. James’s Palace Stakes but shouldn’t be dismissed on the back of one poor outing. However, the one to be on is the horse who finished only a neck adrift of Rosallion in that St. James’s Palace Stakes contest.
A Group 1 winner as a juvenile, Henry Longfellow looked in need of the outing in the French 2000 Guineas but stepped up on that when only just reeled in by Rosallion last time. The fact that O’Brien runs both Mountain Bear and River Tiber (horses with little chance on form) suggests that team Ballydoyle have a tactical plan up their sleeve here. With the prospect of further improvement and likely to be suited by how the race unfolds, Henry Longfellow may be tough to catch this time.
- Recommended Bet - Henry Longfellow to win @ 10/3 with Betfred
John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes – Thursday, 3:00
The Group 1 Nassau Stakes is the main attraction on Day 3, but we prefer this mile-and-a-half event for the three-year-olds for punting purposes. There are no shortage of interesting contenders here, including Meydaan, who bagged a Listed 1m3f event at this track in May, and the Godolphin runner, Royal Power, who finished just 1¼l back in third that day. With the runner-up since finishing second in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes, that form looks solid.
As a full brother to the mighty Ghaiyyath, Dermot Weld’s Duraji is an intriguing name amongst the current list of entries. This represents a significant step up from his maiden success at Leopardstown, but he looked to have plenty left in the tank that day and should enjoy this step up in trip. At around the 20/1 mark, he would be our each-way selection.
However, we suspect the market has this right in making the Aidan O’Brien-trained Jan Brueghel the horse they all have to beat. A perfect two over 1m2f – including in Group 3 company last time – this step in trip seems likely to bring out significantly more. His brother Sovereign was a Group 1 winner over this trip, whilst a few of his siblings have won over significantly further. Already touted as a likely St. Leger candidate, he can take this en route to his shot at Classic glory.
- Recommended Bet - Jan Brueghel to win @ 5/4 with Betfred
King George Qatar Stakes – Friday 3:35
Last, but not least, this "blink and you’ll miss it" 5f speed-fest. Big Evs leads the way among the home hopes on the back of his solid third in the King’s Charles III Stakes. The Michael Appleby star is a proven Group 1 performer having landed the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, has a course and distance win to his name, and should go well. However, three-year-olds have won only two of the past ten editions of this and he may need more to conquer the best of the older runners in this year's field.
George Boughey’s Believing has only a short head to find with Big Evs from that King Charles III Stakes clash, whilst fellow four-year-old Makarova ran well for fourth in the 2023 edition of this, and may have gone close granted a clearer passage. The improving Jasour and Starlust, together with the talented but inconsistent Kerdos are others to note, but overall we can’t get away from the Aussie mare, Asfoora.
Having won at no higher than Group 2 level in her homeland, many questioned whether she would be up to the task in the King Charles III Stakes. She answered that question with a burst of acceleration to end the contest in a matter of strides. The winning margin may only have been a length that day, but, to make up around 4 lengths on Big Evs in the space of half a furlong was no mean feat. She looks like the quickest horse in the field and can use that finishing flourish to good effect once again.
- Recommended Bet - Asfoora to win @ 3/1 with Betfred
A £10 fourfold on the above selections returns £299 with Betfred.
