Hi all,
The weekly notebook is back after a two-week break. Well we have just finished five day’s excellent racing at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
Given the unique configuration of Goodwood racecourse. There are normally plenty of hard luck stories, in the big field handicaps, at the meeting and this year is no exception with plenty of horses that could be put in the tracker.
This weekend the racing is low key. I say low key but it’s Shergar Cup at Ascot. So, you could hardly describe it as low key. I have to say I’m not really fan of the event, although I will no doubt watch and have the odd bet.
Plenty of traditionalist’s will be giving the meeting a miss and will be looking to the Group action on the Haydock & Newmarket cards for their betting. Haydock’s feature race is the Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes. At Newmarket there’s’ more Group 3 action with Sweet Solera Stakes for 2-year-olds. There’s also a good 7f handicap on the Newmarket card.
More on the weekend action later in the week.
Eyecatchers – w/e August 4th
All this week’s notebook horses are from Goodwood. I could easily have gone for a double figure number of eyecatchers but here are my top eight. If you read my Monday Daily Punt column you will already have seen two of them.
Qatar Goodwood Festival
Tuesday July 30th – Day 1
Johnny Drama – Andrew Balding
Was having his first start for trainer Andrew Balding, after a switch from the Ger Lyons stable. The 4-year-old had disappointed when down the field in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot on his previous start.
This was much better effort from the gelding who now runs in the colours of King Power Racing. He was slowly away which didn’t help his chances and he also didn’t get the best of runs inside the two furlongs. He had to be switched out wide but stayed on well all the way to the line to finish 6th of 16, beaten 3 ¼ lengths.
A big horse who has a distinct knee action, he will be better with more juice in the ground and looks worth another tries over 1m 4f. Johnny Drama is lightly raced for his age, just the six career starts, and can win a decent handicap when the ground eases.
Chaleur – Ralph Beckett
The 3-year-old built on the promise of her Newmarket seasonal reappearance, when a strong finishing 3rd of 11 in the 1m fillies handicap. Held up at the back she made good headway two furlongs out but found the line coming to soon. Beaten just a length, it was a good effort on her first start over the distance. The easing of the ground also probably wasn’t in her favour as both her juvenile wins had come on good to firm.
Now connections know she stays a mile it opens a few more options for the well-bred daughter of Dansili. The handicapper has only put her up a 1lb for this run, so she remains on a competitive mark, and she is one to note on quicker ground.
Wednesday July 31st – Day 2
Dubawi Fifty – Karen McLintock
Was sent off a well fancied 5/1 for the marathon handicap that opened the day 3 card. The 5-year-old had previously returned from 12 months of the track with an excellent head, 2nd of 19 in the Northumberland Plate.
A prominent racer he couldn’t get a good position from the off and was held up at the back. Those tactics didn’t suit the gelding and although he plugged on into a never nearer 11th at the finish. He never looked like he would get involved in the race at any time. It’s probably best to draw a line under his run and he can be seen to better advantage when he can race more towards the head of affairs.
Tribal Craft – Andrew Balding
A winner of her previous two starts at Pontefract & Salisbury. Had a troubled passage in the 1m 4f handicap, having been hampered at the start. She was always on the back foot from then onwards. The 3-year-old did manage to work her way back into the race and was making headway in the straight but then didn’t get a clear run a couple of times in the inside the final two furlongs.
Tribal Craft is better than her final finishing position of 7th suggests. There should be other days with this lightly raced filly and she can win a middle distance handicap or two when she gets more luck in the run.
Moll Davis – George Scott
Had looked a filly ahead of her mark after win at Hamilton and she should really have confirmed that on Wednesday, in the 1m 2f fillies handicap. She was travelling nicely on the inner coming into the straight but got no sort of run two furlongs out and had to be switched and was shuffled to the rear. It looked she would be well beaten but she finished off her race well to snatch what had looked an unlikely 5th. The 3-year-old clearly remains on a winnable mark when all the cards fall right.
Thursday August 1st – Day 3
Picture Frame – Saeed Bin Suroor
The daughter of Showcasing was drawn out wide in stall 16 in the 7f nursery handicap. She found herself at the rear and although she finished her race off well enough to take 6th she was never involved.
A winner at Newbury on her previous start the filly. It looks she’s started life in nurseries off a workable mark and shouldn’t be judged to harshly on this performance. There is a nursery handicap in the filly in the coming weeks. Her Newbury win came on good to soft so any ease in the ground will be in her favour.
Friday August 2nd – Day 4
History Writer – David Menuisier
The Golden Mile Handicap tends to produce plenty of hard luck stories and the likes of Seniority & Baltic Baron are going to be worth keeping onside in the coming weeks. The latter has the ability to land a decent pot when all the cards fall right. He maybe one for the big mile handicap at the upcoming York Ebor Festival. However, it’s the return of a previous eyecatcher.
History Writer wasn’t well drawn in stall 13 and was held up in the rear. He never really got competitive, but I did not him making some progress when the race was all over. He eventually finished 14th of 20 but wasn’t subjected to hard race.
The drying ground wouldn’t have been in the gelding favour. Whilst he does act on quick ground his best performances have come with juice in the ground. His trainer thought before the race that he was still on a competitive mark so it maybe worth noting the horse when he gets easier under foot conditions.
Saturday August 3rd – Day 5
I haven’t a good chance to look at all the races on the Saturday card so it’s likely there are more eyecatchers to be found.
Breath Of Air – Charlie Hills
A winner at Newbury as a juvenile. He came into the race on the back of a good effort at Doncaster on return from a 66-day break.
The 3-year-old was held up here and was making steady headway on the inside coming to the furlong mark but got no run inside the final furlong and had to settle for 5th.
He wouldn’t have beaten the progressive winner Land Of Legend, who had shown a good turn of foot to win his race, but with a better passage in the final stages of the race could well have been challenging for second.
Looks on a workable mark and can land a handicap, probably when dropped back into the calmer waters of Class 3 company.
Cheers
John