The Stewards’ Cup is one of the most notoriously difficult handicaps to decipher in the Flat Racing calendar. A maximum field of twenty-eight sprinters zip down the sharp declining nature of Goodwood, making it as visually tricky to keep tabs on your selection as is it to nail your colours to one’s mast.
The race has been etched in thoroughbred history since its inauguration in 1840, attracting a variety of sprinters whether that be progressive three years olds or the regressive older brigade. Favourite’s have won just six renewals since 2004, with seven of the last ten winners returning at an SP of 10/1 or higher, and this years’ renewal looks as wide open as ever.
Market Contenders
Get It
Get It would have to become just the fourth horse in the history of the Stewards Cup to land back-to-back renewals, but this relentless Twilight Son gelding comes here in career best form after making all to win a pair of Ascot handicaps over six furlongs, latterly the Wokingham.
Since joining George Baker, his form figures over the distance on British shores read 1111011. He has a unique ability to not only break sharply, but to get into his long stride almost immediately and once he’s in a cohesive rhythm, he’s as tough as any sprinter to get by over the distance.
His Wokingham form has been franked with the second, More Thunder, taking the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket so he can’t be written off, but with a six pound higher mark than last year he’ll have to put in another career best to take this once more.
Hammer The Hammer
With a proven ability to train high class sprinters such as Emaraaty Ana, Hello Youmzain and Glass Slippers, it’s a slight surprise that Kevin Ryan is yet to land the Steward’s Cup. Hammer The Hammer bids to change that, and the progressive son of Coulsty looks to have a strong chance.
There was evident promise in his two starts as a two year old last term, and his seasonal debut in February when beaten a head at Southwell suggested a win was imminent. He subsequently rattled off a hat trick, with the middle leg coming when bolting up in impressive fashion to land a valuable sprint at Southwell, before backing that up at Chester to make all under a 6lbs penalty to win by four lengths.
It was always going to be tough to dominate the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes at Royal Ascot, but off top-weight he ran a super race to finish second, beaten a length giving the winner 11lbs who wasn’t disgraced in the G3 Coral Charge next time out.
His early gate speed is a huge asset to have around here, as is the 4lbs weight for age allowance and the manner within which he stayed on over five furlongs at Ascot suggests the step back up to six on a sharper track will be in his favour.
Annaf
Annaf was well beaten in this contest in 2022, but since then he’s developed into a classy sprinter, largely better known for his all-weather exploits. The following season he filled the frame in the King’s Stand, and later on he broke his turf maiden status when landing the Portland Handicap off top-weight, following that up with success in the Bengough Stakes.
The foray out of handicaps were naturally a foregone conclusion as a result of his revised rating, but given he’s now 0-11 since his last win he’s dropped to a workable mark, just a pound higher than his Portland success, and given he’s filled the frame on three occasions this season in pattern company, he can’t be written off despite the likely burden of top-weight.
Double Rush
Charles Hills has won this twice with three year olds since 2015 with Magical Memory and Khaadem, and the former was third in the valuable Charity Sprint Handicap at York en-route. Double Rush was also third in that contest back in June when a 4/1JF, beaten two lengths when having to come up the unfavourable near-side.
That form hasn’t worked out particularly well, but the ground may have been quick enough for him there given his better firm has come on a softer surface and his commanding success in a 0-100 at Newmarket in April shouldn’t be forgotten.
He holds an entry in the Sprint Cup at Haydock later in the year which suggests he’s held in high regard by connections, and a mark of 90 could still underestimate him.
Holkham Bay
Very little went right for Holkham Bay in a competitive Heritage Handicap at Ascot, having got revved up in the preliminaries and missed the kick. He was on the back foot throughout and the track favoured the near-side rail, combine that with a rough passage in running and we can draw a line through that.
Prior to that, he ran a huge race in defeat behind Get It in the Wokingham when again massive unflavoured by his pitch on the near-side rail. He was first home in his group of seven, with the others in that group finishing 8th, 13th, 17th, 20th, 23rd and 24th, so his effort can be seriously upgraded.
He’s another who would likely prefer an easier surface, but his proven form in big field handicaps and ability to run consistently well off a mark like this suggests he’s worth a glance.
Outsiders To Consider
Commanche Falls
Commanche Falls is two from two in this contest having won it back to back in 2021 and 2022, though his subsequent lofty revised rating has swerved him away from the contest in recent years with him generally plying his trade in pattern company.
While he is without a win since taking the Listed Garrowby Stakes at York in 2023, he’s suffered the burden of top-weight in handicaps in his last nine runs and while he hasn’t been running particularly well, he’s not been all that far away for all a drop in the weights has reflected his regression.
He’s entered and jocked up for the Scottish Stewards Cup, but even should he win that and then carry a 6lbs penalty here, he’d still be well handicapped on older form and you couldn’t possibly write off any horses unbeaten at Goodwood, let alone 2-2 in a Steward’s Cup
Night Raider
The one-dimensional Night Raider has struggled to improve on his impressive all-weather exploits where his record is 4-4, but while I, like many others, have been of the opinion that he should be left well alone on turf, there may be reason to chance him once more.
His first turf start came in the 2000 Guineas over a mile, and his next was in the Jersey over seven. While he was beaten out of sight on both of those runs, a subsequent wind operation may have suggested there were issues, and while he was beaten on his first start after that, many horses often are before going onto feel the benefit next time out, which Night Raider did in impressive fashion at Kempton.
He posted his best effort on turf on seasonal debut this term when beaten four lengths by Inisherin in the Duke of York Clipper Stakes, leading them at the one furlong pole still travelling well before succumbing to two naturally classier sorts.
Night Raider was then only beaten five lengths in the King Charles and the same distance in the July Cup. Both of those tracks are stiff enough to attempt to make all at a fast gallop, but he wasn’t disgraced entirely in either and six furlongs at Goodwood could easily see that tactic pan out.
The angle of dropping into a handicap for the first time after running with credit at the highest level is an interesting one, and given he’s unlikely to translate that winning that all-weather form on to turf, this could be an ideal race for turf success off a workable handicap mark.
Fahrenheit Seven
Showcasing gelding Fahrenheit Seven took his six furlong record to 3111 when landing a competitive class two at Hamilton off 7lbs lower, travelling strongly in behind leaders and winning going away by two lengths a shade cosily.
His record now stands at 5-12 and he’s yet to be out of the first four with his overall form reading 243311313141, and given that was a career best it’s tricky to decipher where his ceiling lies. He has proven form on sharper tracks over six and stiffer tracks over five, so he possess the perfect cocktail of balance, speed and stamina required to land the Steward’s Cup and given he doesn’t hold an entry in the Scottish version over a winning C&D, they obviously think he’s capable to land the big one.
Billyjoh
Billyjoh is the proverbial ‘nearly horse’ having consistently ran well in top level handicaps since his last win in February 2024, amassing a total of £143,290 of prize money despite just four wins, the highest being a 7k pot at Chelmsford.
He fared well in the circumstances in this contest last season when faring best of those in the far side group with the front pair racing on the near-side, and the next single figure draw finishing ninth. The second home in his group was Rumstar who’s subsequently improved 10lbs having won a pair of G3s this season.
Billyjoh has run well himself this term without troubling the judge, though filled the frame over seven furlongs at Doncaster behind the subsequent Buckingham Palace Stakes second Akkadian Thunder, and he stayed on well when suffering a troubled passage in the Bunbury Cup when a two length third to More Thunder.
He’s 2lbs below his third here last season and is once again likely to get the strong pace he needs, and if drawn better this time, he’s likely to pounce late on the premises.
Verdict
Prominent racers generally fare better in this contest than those held up given the amount of luck needed for a clear passage, but given the likely intense early pace from those such as Get It, Night Raider and Hammer The Hammer, it may pay to favour one who can sit just off the pace and is proven to travel strongly and quicken, so the progressive FAHRENHEIT SEVEN gets the nod.
Mark Usher’s gelding should squeeze in at the bottom of the weights and while he’s yet to encounter a field of more than ten runners, he strikes me as the type who’ll only improve in a bigger field and he has all the key attributes to acquit himself well in a race of this nature at this track.
The three-year-old Hammer The Hammer stayed on well at Ascot to suggest this step back up to six furlongs will suit, but combine that with his proven speed for five suggests Goodwood will suit him to a tee. He doesn’t have to lead, but his prominent racing style and smart gate speed should see him avoid the early ruckus for a position, and he can follow the selection home if carrying on his smart progression.
Night Raider will likely play the hare for the field and this sharper track could see him last longer in front this time. Despite a loftier mark, he’s rarely discredited himself at this distance at the top level so dropping back against weaker sorts may enable him to find his level and he could naturally be too classier for these, but the overarching suspicion is he will fade just late on.
Stewards Cup 1-2-3
- Fahrenheit Seven
- Hammer The Hammer
- Night Raider
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