With Glorious Goodwood in full swing, Matty Sutcliffe has looked ahead to the day two card on Wednesday. He has three best bets throughout the day, which include a 66/1 shot in Group company…
1:20 Goodwood – Coral Pipped At The Post Winners Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) – Novelista 12/1 1pt EW 3 places
The Johnston yard have won this twice in the last eight years and while they’ve come up short since, the last couple of seasons haven’t gone to plan but things have improved drastically of late, and NOVELISTA is taken to go one better than his Haydock second last time out.
The Lope De Vega colt was a bet for the column there, but he was waited with for far too long while stablemate Pole Star was already kicking down the outside and just clung on from the rallying Novelista. It was certainly a tough one to take, but Pole Star backed up that effort next time out to land a Racing League contest from 5lbs higher and Novelista still looks well treated despite a 4lbs rise on that evidence.
He’s 10lbs better off from a three-length defeat with Sing Us A Song when they met here on debut in September, and the declaration of the yards Mdawi, who made all to win last time out, may play the hare to set a strong gallop for Novelista dropping two furlongs down in trip.
1:55 Goodwood – World Pool Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Havana Pusey 66/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
HAVANA PUSEY is one of just two C&D winners in here and while she has something to find on the figures, she’s posted two progressive career best RPR’s of late and if continuing her upward curve then she’s taken to spring a surprise.
Her first try at seven furlongs saw her well beaten at Ascot as a three year old, but she’s evidently improved since and when upped to seven for the second time, she cosily landed a 0-90 handicap over C&D in May by two lengths.
While she failed to back that up at York, I’m always happy to forgive a horse for one bad run at York as some simply fail to take to the track, and she proved it as no fluke when staying on well to finish fourth in the G3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle last month, splitting rivals rated 14lbs and 19lbs higher than her respectively.
She improved a pound on RPR’s next time out when back up to this distance in a fillies handicap at Newcastle, where she stayed on well to be beaten a length by the improving Royal Velvet who was in receipt of 13lbs, finishing a length ahead of progressive 3yo and 2/1F Miss Nightfall who was also in receipt of 13lbs including a 3yo allowance.
She proved there that the trip is no issue, but she’ll be much happier back on a sharper track as her best form has generally come either here or at Windsor, and this battle hardened improving mare can serve it up to those who’re relatively exposed in this grade.
3:45 Goodwood – British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) – Wisper 12/1 1pt EW 4 places
Belardo mare WISPER looked something of an unlucky loser in this contest last season when short of room on two occasions close to line having gone for a closing gap, and if they open up late for her this time around then it would be surprising to see her out of the frame.
She’s a one-dimensional mare who has to pass rivals late on and rarely does a whole lot in front, but she was successful on her penultimate start when landing a 0-95 handicap at Windsor with ease having deployed those aforementioned tactics, lowering the colours of the 5/4F in the process and pulling five lengths clear from the third Andaleep, who franked the form next time out when landing a Racing League contest last week.
While she was beaten off this career high mark at Southwell next time out, she suffered a luckless passage and took her AW record to 0-10 there. Her mark is less of an issue then her tendency to find trouble is, but Rossa Ryan is keen to regain the ride after winning on her at Windsor and with an honest gallop forecast, I’d expect her to arrive there late on the premises.
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