Glorious Goodwood rolls on into day two, and Matty Sutcliffe, fresh from four tips on Tuesday, has three more to follow on the Wednesday.
1:50 Goodwood – Coral Daily Rewards Shaker Handicap (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) – Open Secret 20/1 generally (33/1 coral/ladbrokes) 0.5pt EW 3 places
While Charlie is yet to win this contest, Mark Johnston won the 2014, 2017 and 2019 renewals and I’d imagine the team at Kingsley Park are itching to recoup their crown. The handicapper is becoming harsher and harsher with his marks for some of these three-year-olds. For example, I’ve no idea how French Duke was given a mark of 88 for all he fared well in the King George V Handicap at Ascot, so the angle I took going into this race was to look toward the bottom end of the weights for something with a form-line implying there’s plenty left in their mark.
Despite being a maiden after seven runs, OPEN SECRET fits the bill as there’s multiple bits of form to suggest a mark of 76 could prove lenient in time. We’ll begin with his debut in December, where he was beaten two lengths into third by Imperial Sovereign who’s now rated 98, and the second that day is rated 93, with the three pulling clear of the field.
He then gave a good account of himself over 1m4f at Wolverhampton when going down a length to the evens Gosden-trained favourite Pappano who’s now rated 90. He was then four length behind another subsequently 90 rated horse in Dambuster at Beverley, before running a promising race on handicap debut at Doncaster when looking a non-stayer over six furlongs. A line through Sam Hawkens, a length behind Open Secret there, suggests that we’re definitely overpriced with Subsequent.
Open Secret then dropped back into maiden company and probably should’ve won at this course, but was held onto for far too long albeit was perhaps getting lonely out in front. He was sent off favourite and again we could argue that the 1m6f stretched him, but he pulled seven lengths clear of the third and the winner was since just touched off 83 before going on to win well off a mark of 86 on Friday (RPR 95), so again, off a mark of 76 then Open Secret is well handicapped on that form.
He then bumped into a huge handicap blot when second at Chester, who posted an RPR of 92 and that could’ve been expected given he was only beaten five lengths in the listed Blue Riband at Epsom. I thought he ran an excellent race in a typical competitive handicap at Newbury last week when beaten two lengths, having led right up until 3/4 a furlong out.
It’s a touch concerning that he’s come up short in three handicaps, but the first time visor could easily eke out further improvement and we know on collateral form that he has the handicapping scope to do so. There’s a lack of pace here, which means Joe Fanning can set his own fractions from the front and we already know that he handles the track, which gives us a further edge here.
2:25 Goodwood – Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Pretty Crystal 14/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
Smart two-year-old PRETTY CRYSTAL posted a career best performance on seasonal debut in the Nell Gwyn in April, conjuring up a shock result at 18/1 to lower the colours of the well backed favourite Dance Sequence who subsequently finished second in the Oaks. That form has worked out elsewhere with the third Kathmandu going down by a head in the French 1000 Guineas next time out and the 8th Spiritual taking the Coral Distaff last time out, so it certainly wasn’t a flash in the pan performance.
Pretty Crystal was below that form in two subsequent starts since, but she didn’t stay the trip in the Guineas and looked outpaced over six furlongs went hampered after initially traveling well last time out at York, so the return to this intermediate distance should suit. She was beaten two lengths in the Prestige Stakes behind subsequent German 1000 Guineas winner Darnation here last season so we know she handles the track, and given her dam won this race for connections in 2018 after finishing runner up in the Summer Stakes at York, she has likely been primed for this race with first time cheek-pieces looking the correct move.
3:00 Goodwood – Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (2yo) – Mr Lightside 10/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes, William Hill) 1pt WIN
Mick Appleby won this last season with the precocious Big Evs, and he has a similar model in MR LIGHTSIDE here. The son of Earthlight badly needed the experience on his racecourse debut at Leicester in June, but duly obliged next time out when a convincing winner by a length down in trip at Redcar. Interestingly, that was a quicker time than Big Evs’ course and distance second on his debut last season, and although we can’t directly compare the two, it at least gives us an idea of just how rapid Mr Lightside is. The form of that race has worked out with the second beating the sixth in a nursery next time out, and the fourth also went in next time out.
He was then sent off 8/1 for a Nottingham novice next time out where he was carrying a penalty giving weight away to all, but he made a mockery of those odds and won in the style of a very smart two year old. He pulled two and a quarter lengths away from the Godolphin favourite who bolted up next time out so the form has worked out, and he embodies a similar gate speed to that of Big Evs.
Though he’s got a bit to find on figures with a couple, he’s from the family of Requinto who won the Molecomb in 2011 and if he can break on terms thus snatching a length early on from the field, he could easily continue his progressive ways and give Mick Appleby another Molecomb success.
Matty Sutcliffe’s Glorious Goodwood Day 2 Selections
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