Betway ambassador Andrew Balding talks through all his Tuesday runners at Glorious Gooodwood
GLORIOUS Goodwood is a wonderful meeting at the most beautiful course.
We’ve had some luck down there over the years, not least in 2017 when Here Comes When won the very valuable Sussex Stakes. There’s a real garden-party atmosphere, so let’s hope we can find a winner or two during the week.
GOODWOOD
13:50
Johnny Drama makes his first start for the yard in the opening 1m2f handicap, having come from Ger Lyons.
We’ve been pleased with him at home and on his Irish form he’d have a chance. It didn’t look like he stayed 1m4f at Ascot, so we hope the drop back to 10 furlongs will help him.
He’s got a nice draw in stall one and we hope he runs well.
14:25
The Vintage Stakes looks incredibly strong, probably the best two-year-old race run so far this season. Mystery Power looked really good in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket last time and he put in a strong time figure. Although he has to carry a penalty, I think he can still run very well.
Pinatubo, Lope Y Fernandez and Visinari all have very strong form, so it should be a race to savour.
15:00
There is some rain forecast at Goodwood on Tuesday and we’ll be hoping as much as possible falls to help Donjuan Triumphant in the Lennox Stakes.
He’s been an absolute star over the years, but soft ground definitely brings out the best in him. That said, he was a close fourth in this race 12 months ago on good ground and it looks quite an open renewal.
We would be delighted if he could run into the places.
Balding's Day 1 runners
- 1.50 Goodwood – Johnny Drama (Latest odds)
- 3.00 Goodwood – Donjuan Triumphant (Latest odds)
- 3.35 Goodwood – Dashing Willoughby (Latest odds)
15:35
There are some very good stayers around at the moment, not least Stradivarius, so the Goodwood Cup is not going to be easy for our Queen’s Vase winner Dashing Willoughby.
He’s in fine form, though. We’ve been very pleased with him since Newmarket and he’s been taking his work well. The three-year-olds get a very handy allowance in this race, which will be a big help for him.
The St Leger is his main target and we will probably go straight there after this.
16:10
We don’t have a runner in the maiden. It’s a guessing game really – a 100-1 shot won it a couple of years ago!
King Power have a couple in the field and I’d obviously like to see one of them win, but John Quinn’s Cobra Eye ran very well on debut and he looks like he’ll be tough to beat.
16:45
The five furlong handicap looks really hard. You could make a case for pretty much all of the field.
Muthmir was placed behind Battaash in the King George Stakes here 12 months ago, so he could be the one off a mark of 102.
17:15
It doesn’t get any easier in the fillies’ mile handicap, which rounds off day one.
I must admit I don’t really have any view on the race. Ideally you’re looking for a low draw over the mile course, so bear that in mind.
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