Day four at Glorious Goodwood sees competitive handicaps and Group races aplenty, and Matty Sutcliffe has more than doubled down. He has a whopping SEVEN selections for you to follow on Friday.
1:50 Goodwood – Coral Goodwood Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) – Super Superjack 7/1 1pt WIN + Gooloogong 50/1 0.5pt EW 6 places (PaddyPower/Betfair 6 places)
SUPER SUPERJACK was a somewhat unlucky second (7/2F) in this contest two seasons ago, having come from way back in rear and had his run stopped at a vital time. He was off the track for 654 days before reappearing with five length fourth at Nottingham over two miles in a race that’s worked out well (subsequent winner in first went off favourite for the Northumberland Plate), and while better could’ve been expected when beaten ten lengths at Ascot last month, that came over an inadequate 1m6f and was given an awful amount to do by Finley Marsh, but that should’ve put him cherry ripe for a return to this contest.
He’s two pounds lower than his effort in 2022 and the booking of Tom Marquand can only be a positive for a horse with assured stamina more than most.
The other I’d like to take a wild swing at is Gooloogong, who was sent off 8/1 for a Group 2 at the Curragh last July. While he’s regressed since, it’s hard not to envisage he won’t prove better than a mark of 80 in time and now he’s had three spins in rear for George Baker, now may be the time to catch him.
The son of Australia was unable to match the likes of his stablemates Emily Dickinson and Vauban in graded company for Aidan O’Brien, and a spin over hurdles after a gelding operation sparked no improvement either. But he caught my eye at Kempton in June as although he finished last of the eight runners, he still posted an RPR of 90 when barely put into the race under Pat Cosgrave, and it was a similar tale in two starts thereafter.
This contest is littered with exposed sorts who are perhaps toward the peak of their marks, or out of form sorts who require a ton of faith to come good. Albeit Gooloogong fits into the latter, he’s relatively unexposed after just eight starts, and we can only imagine he was ‘trying’ for a handful of them, so while I’m aware there’s little in the way of recent form to go on, he’s a beautifully bred gelding (from the family of Urban Sea) and now he’s dropped to a mark of 80, I’m keen to chance him stepping up in trip as he’s certainly not the quickest of horses, but his Navan win in the mud last season suggested he’s more of a relentless galloper which makes this 2m4f distance worth exploring for the in-form George Baker.
2:25 Goodwood – Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo) – Socialite 8/1 1.5pt WIN
Goodwood has been kind to Charlie Hills over the years, and SOCIALITE is worth another chance despite having three lengths to find with Al Musmak on their Sir Henry Cecil Stakes form last time out.
The son of Too Darn Hot had looked something potentially out of the ordinary when unbeaten in two starts prior, with the next three home from his Leicester success all winning since, and the second from his win in a valuable Novice Stakes at Doncaster finishing a four length fifth in the Brittania off top-weight (rated 102). He comfortably dispatched King’s Gamble there, pulling clear of the well-bred third, and that suggested he was more than capable of making up into a group horse.
He wasn’t given a brilliant ride by Tom Marquand at Newmarket, but he was drawn out in the centre and shot off in front, clocking the quickest first three furlongs under a keen grip while the rest were grouped up on the far-side rail. He conjured up a lead of five lengths and that quickly became reduced two out, but I was impressed that he didn’t entirely fall back through the field which looked inevitable, as when he switched left to those going past him, he found another gear and was able to stay on to the line.
While it probably wasn’t Marquand’s finest moment, Socialite would have learnt plenty from that experience in good company and if he’s given a quieter ride this time around then I’d be confident he could reverse the form with Al Musmak and this sharper track could easily play into his the strength of his early speed.
3:00 Goodwood – Coral Golden Mile (Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) – Rebel Territory 12/1 1pt WIN + Orbaan 14/1 1pt WIN + Mirsky 50/1 0.5pt EW 6 places
This is possibly one of my favourite handicaps in racing, and this year’s renewal is a cracker. I struggled to not back half the field here as it’s ridiculously competitive, but I’ll begin with REBEL TERRITORY who could potentially still be the proverbial group horse in a handicap.
The son of Territories has form figures of 216 around here, and although the ‘6’ came in this contest two years ago, he returned last season as a completely different model of a horse, landing somewhat of a gamble in a Newmarket handicap before absolutely bolting up in the Victoria Cup by four lengths, defying a historically dreaded low draw in stall two.
That was one of the most impressive victories in the race of the last decade, and if returning to that form then he could easily put up a similar performance. Though he’s a long layoff to contend with, he’s won off a 208 and 171 day layoff in the past so at least we know he’s proven to go well fresh and this will likely have been on connections’ mind for some time. The draw in 19 isn’t an obvious gift, but Johan took this last year from stall 18 from a 293 day layoff so we know it’s not completely unattainable.
Another I’d like to play is ORBAAN. Firstly, 14/1 is an insane price given he was 40/1 at the initial time of writing (Wednesday morning), but as I’ve earmarked him for this since his Carlisle Bell victory I can’t let him go un-backed, though I wouldn’t put anyone off backing him at SP as I’d imagine he will drift.
Anyway, I’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on him for a race like this for what feels like an age, and surely now is the right time. He won with consummate ease at Carlisle when pulling clear with the well back favourite, and while Better could’ve been expected when returning there last time out, he wasn’t entirely disgraced off a huge weight (was 87 in a 0-80 company) and it seemed as if there was an eye on another prize. He’s long threatened to land a big pot since two years ago though he struggled to get out of the handicappers grip, but now he’s come down in the weights and bounced back to form in typical David O’Meara fashion, there’s little reason to suggest he can’t fare well with Jason Watson back aboard and a kind draw in stall four.
I don’t think I’ve ever stuck three up in a single contest, nor is it something I’d probably do again in the near future, but MIRSKY is another one of O’Meara’s I’ve had my eye on for a big pot and is another I’d regret leaving unbacked should he go close. He had some smart form as a three year old in France, including finishing two length behind Factor Cheval in a listed contest. His form largely tailed off last season despite beginning the year with two wins, but since joining David O’Meara this term he’s shaped on all three occasions as if there’s a big pot lurking within.
He was a huge eye-catcher in the Thirsk Hunt Cup in May when coming down the unfavourable centre, finishing two lengths ahead of Northern Express who was given a similar ride and latterly took the Moet & Chandon International Stakes off 102.
Mirsky then travelled strongly in a competitive handicap at York despite taking a keen hold, and those exertions were likely the reason for him weakening late on. He looks far overpriced with Blue For You on that form given he was three lengths behind him there and is three pounds better off. He then shaped much better than his finishing position suggested in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot in June when an 80/1 shot under Maxime Guyon, finishing first in his group of two beaten seven lengths (other beaten 19L) up the unfavourable far side when drawn in stall two. All the action there came up the centre and it largely paid to be drawn middle to high, so given that Mirksy was in contention two out suggests we can massively upgrade his effort and that makes him an interesting contender in here, particularly he finished way ahead of stablemate Blue For You there. O’Meara often uses that race as a spring board for other big pots, so hopefully Mirsky is the one to take from that race and he can rediscover that smart form in France, especially from a 3lbs lower mark than his solid Ascot effort.
3:35 Goodwood – King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Starlust 9/1 1pt WIN
STARLUST won the York Listed City Walls Stakes, a race that’s a pathway to this race in the past, in decisive fashion last time out in the manner of a very progressive sprinter and should relish this strong gallop here.
There’s pace angles from all across the field and the race looks ripe for a closer, though I wouldn’t want something sitting too far back in the likely event of a bad luck story so I’d imagine Starlust will sit just in behind the pace provided he breaks well from stall 12.
His record over 5F reads 311 with the ‘3’ coming when a length behind Big Evs at the Breeders Cup as a 2yo, so we know he embodies an innate sense of speed that connections have failed to utilise properly up until now. He bounced back from a disappointing effort in first time cheekpieces over six furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup when capitalising off a strong gallop at York, striding away in the final furlong to take his record at York to 211. York’s a track that requires plenty of speed as well as a touch of stamina for the final furlong, and that ability should stand him in good stead here.
The sprinting division is still open to question despite some recent grade one winners in this field, but Starlust smacks as a seriously improving sort over this trip and is joint best off at the weights with the favourite Big Evs.
Looking For More Racing Info? Check Out Our Racecards & Top Tips Sections
Make sure you’re following us on all our social media platforms to keep up to date with all the latest horse racing news and the best tips.