TODAY’S GOING AT 10AM
The going remains the same as yesterday
Straight: Good, Good to Firm in places
Round course: Good to Firm
GoingStick readings at 9.30am
Straight course: Stands’ side: 7.9, Centre: 7.9, Far side: 8.1
Round.course: 9.0
Seamus Buckley, Clerk of the Course, said this morning: "We watered the straight after racing yesterday evening, putting on eight millimetres of water.
"We will review the going at the end of the day to see if any more watering is needed, though some rain is forecast within the next 24 hours.
"There is fresh ground for today on the far side from the six-furlong pole to the three-furlong marker after we took down temporary running rail which dolled out the course by six yards."
Stalls
Straight course: stands’ side.
Round course: inside, except 1m 4f which is outside
The top bend continues to be dolled out three yards and this temporary rail will come down after racing today so as to provide fresh ground for tomorrow’s Group One Blue Square Nassau Stakes.
BLUE SQUARE SATURDAY TOMORROW
Bluesq.com Stewards’ Cup *paying 5 places 1/4 odds*
Blue Square Nassau Stakes *paying 1/3 odds a place*
SPECIAL MARKETS
2009 Revisited? – enhanced double
Genki (Stewards’) + Midday (Nassau) 30/1
Who will start as the Stewards’ Cup favourite?
Genki 7/4
Enact 2/1
Palace Moon 5/2
Jonny Mudball 6/1
Others on request
Age of the Stewards’ Cup winner?
Three 20/1
Four 2/1
Five 6/4
Six 7/2
Seven 14/1
Eight 20/1
Effect of the draw – where will the Stewards’ Cup winner come from?
High – stall 20 or above 5/4
Middle – stalls 10 to 19 inc 2/1
Low – stalls 1 to 9 inc 2/1
Richard Fahey to train the winner 5/1
Ladies First? Female horse, jockey or trainer to win race 9/2
LIBRANNO FACTOR SEES HUGHES ODDS TUMBLE
Richard Hughes is heading relentlessly towards the Racing UK Glorious Goodwood jockeys’ title, and could build on his lead during today’s seven-race card.
Hughes, who has partnered five winners during the first three days, has hardened to 1/6 favourite for the title with bookmaker Blue Square, while Ryan Moore, who has three wins, has been eased to 7/2. Moore has six rides today, one more than the leader, but Hughes has an ace in his hand called Libranno, likely favourite for the Tanqueray Richmond Stakes (4.00).
Libranno, in common with Hughes’ quartet of firsts, is trained in Wiltshire by Richard Hannon, who yesterday trained his 200th winner at Goodwood. Of Libranno, a two-year-old who has won both his races, the trainer said on his website, www.richardhannonracing.tv|: "He is workmanlike rather than spectacular, but he kept finding at Newmarket and is the sort of horse who is best when allowed to do his own thing rather than try and organise him. This track [Goodwood] might suit him and Hughesie can let him jump and run.
"We also run Vitznau in the totesport Mile (3.25). He ran a terrific race to finish sixth from a bad draw two years ago, but he is again drawn towards the outside, and, while he ran well at Epsom last time, it will be tough from out there. However, the fact that they have put eight millimetres of water on the straight will help as he would not want it too firm.
"The Queen's Royal Exchange runs in the RSA Nursery (4.35), and, while he won at Salisbury, I think he is better than that so, hopefully, there is a bit more improvement there. Blue Angel, who runs in the Oak Tree Stakes (5.15) and Palisades Park, our runner in the last [Turf Club Handicap, 5.45], will have to be at their best to be competitive as both are in tough races."
Hannon’s five winners means he leads this week’s trainers’ table at Glorious Goodwood by three from Jeremy Noseda.
Royal Exchange is one of two runners for Her Majesty The Queen today, the other being the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Golden Stream, Moore’s mount in the Oak Tree Stakes.
Meanwhile, two horses who ran in the Racing UK Leading Jockey Award Handicap at Glorious Goodwood yesterday are set to make quick reappearances today. Hamoody and Crimea - first and third on their initial outing - are due to tackle the Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint Handicap. Both are trained in Yorkshire by Dandy Nicholls.
NOTE TO TOTESPORT: WATCH OUT FOR RANSOM
Trainer Barry Hills needs a single winner to reach the 50-mark at Glorious Goodwood, and he could reach it in today’s £150,000 totesport Mile, one of the betting highlights of the week.
Hills, who won the race in 1988 with Strike Force, runs Ransom Note, a Royal Ascot winner last month whose selection in today’s Racing Post by ace tipster Pricewise (Tom Segal) has seen his price falling faster than shares in BP. Pricewise has given bookmakers double trouble, for he has also selected the Ralph Beckett-trained Oasis Dancer in the 19-runner handicap.
George Primarolo, spokesman for totesport, said this morning: "Punters have been backing the two Pricewise selections, and in particular Ransom Note. His price has been cut to 9/1 from 14/1. The price of Oasis Dancer has also been under pressure, and we have been forced to go 5/1 from 6/1.
"Sea Lord [who is trained by Mark Johnston] is 5/1 joint-favourite, but he has been heading the list for some time and I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually starts outright favourite.
"In terms of ante-post interest our worst result would be Webbow, who has been drawn bang against the rail in stall 21, while among bigger-priced horses there has been money for Spectait [from Jonjo O’Neill’s stable], now a 33/1 shot from 50/1. He has to overcome a low draw, but he has run in the race twice, won it in 2006 and was second last year."
This is the sixth year that totesport has sponsored the Mile, a race which has fallen to Yorkshire-based Johnston on three occasions, including last year when Laa Rayb was successful. Johnston is double-handed today for he also runs Tartan Gunna, while Roger Charlton, who enjoyed back-to-back wins in the race in 2008 and 2009 (with Third Set and Fifteen Love) saddles Proponent.
Bluesquare.com STEWARDS CUP - A SPRINGBOARD TO STARDOM
Borderlescott’s victory in yesterday’s Group Two Audi King George Stakes served as a reminder of the Bluesquare.com Stewards’ Cup’s standing as one of the season’s premier sprint handicaps.
Robin Bastiman’s charge landed the six-furlong heritage handicap in 2006, went down by a short-head when second in 2007 and was beaten less than a length when third in 2008. Borderlescott is one of sprinters down the years to have used the Bluesquare.com Stewards’ Cup as a springboard to Group One glory, the eight-year-old having triumphed in the 2008 and 2009 renewals of the Nunthorpe Stakes.
Other Bluesquare.com Stewards’ Cup winners to have graduated to victory at the highest level in recent times include Lochsong (1992), Coastal Bluff (1996) and Patavellian (2003).
The last-named went on to clinch the Group One Prix de l’Abbaye on his next start for trainer Roger Charlton, who will bid for a second consecutive win in tomorrow’s race with Blue Square’s current 7/1 market leader, Genki, drawn 25 of the 28 runners. Charlton has won the race three times in all, Harmonic Way setting the ball rolling in 1999.
Sir Michael Stoute will bid to equal Charlton’s tally with 8/1 second-favourite Enact, who will jump from stall 27 and was last seen finishing runner-up to the consistent Hawkeyethenoo at Newmarket in May. Stoute’s two previous wins in the race came with the three-year-olds Alphadamus (1973) and Autumn Sunset (1983).
There are only two three-year-olds in this year’s contest. Iver Bridge Lad is a 25/1 shot for trainer John Ryan, while Bastiman’s Singeur, bottom weight with 8st 12lb, is a 33/1 chance under Tom Queally.
Johnny Mudball (10/1) staked his claims for consideration when winning over the distance at Newcastle on June 26 for trainer Tom Dascombe, who is also set to saddle Wokingham seventh Noverre To Go (14/1).
Dandy Nicholls is always a man to watch in major sprint handicaps and the Thirsk handler, successful previously with Tayseer (2000) and Gift Horse (2005) as a trainer and Soba (1982) as a jockey, will rely on Wokingham runner-up Striking Spririt (14/1), last year’s runner-up Evens And Odds (25/1) and Sonny Red (40/1).
Another Yorkshire-based trainer with a strong contingent is Richard Fahey. He has five arrows strung to his bow, headed by top-weight Knot In Wood (20/1), who has finished third, sixth and third in the past three renewals. Castles In The Air (16/1), owned by Channel Four Racing’s Jim McGrath, won the Victoria Racing Club International Stakes at Ascot last Saturday, Kaldoun Kingdom (16/1) was a narrow second to Hawkeyethenoo at York the same day, Johannes (16/1) won the Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint at this meeting last year and Prime Exhibit (40/1) was on the mark at Wolverhampton last time.
Local trainer William Knight, fresh from success in yesterday’s Artemis Goodwood Cup with Illustrious Blue, is looking forward to saddling Palace Moon (8/1), who was fifth to the Chris Dwyer-trained Sir Gerry (33/1) in the Listed Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury in June.
Last season’s Ayr Gold Cup winner Jimmy Styles (20/1) is primed to represent trainer Clive Cox, while the in form Richard Hannon relies on dual Listed winner Edge Closer (33/1).
BETTING NEWS
The Dandy Nicholls-trained hat-trick seeker Victoire De Lyphar has so far proved popular with punters today. Blue Square has cut the three-year-old to 13/2 from 15/2 for the Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint (2.45pm), the consolation race for tomorrow’s Bluesquare.com Stewards’ Cup, while totesport has shortened him to 13/2 from 8/1.
In the same six-furlong contest, Nicholls is also set to saddle Hamoody, successful in yesterday’s Racing UK Leading Jockey Award Handicap over a furlong shorter. Totesport has cut the six-year-old to 16/1 from 28/1, while stablemate Crimea, third in that same race yesterday, is now 18/1 from 28/1 and the James Fanshawe-trained Bagamoyo is 9/1 from 10/1. Ladbrokes is offering 9/1 about Bagomoyo from 11/1 and the same firm has snipped Pastoral Player into 12/1 from 14/1.
Duncan, trained by John Gosden, is popular with bettors in the opening Group Three Coutts Glorious Stakes (2.10pm). Blue Square makes him 6/5 favourite from 7/4, while Ladbrokes makes him an 11/10 chance from 7/4. Traffic Guard, trained by Paul Cole, is now 22/1 from 40/1 with totesport for the same contest. Those moves have come after the withdrawal of the two Godolphin runners, Cavalryman and La De Two.
In the Group Two Tanqueray Richmond Stakes (4pm), Libranno, from the red hot Richard Hannon stable, is now 5/4 from 11/8 with Ladbrokes.
Blue Square has seen support for the Mark Johnston-trained Tartan Gunna in the totesport Mile (3.25pm) and has shortened the four-year-old, who is running for the second time this week, into 16/1 from 20/1.
In the RSA Nursery (4.35pm), the Cole-trained Memen is 11/4 from 3/1 with Ladbrokes, while the same firm has cut the Andrew Balding-trained Strictly Dancing from 14/1 into 10/1 for the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes (5.15pm).
JOCKEY CHANGES
First race 2.10pm The Coutts Glorious Stakes
No 9. Traffic Guard: Tom Queally replaces Jamie Spencer
No 10. Whispering Gallery: Frankie Dettori replaces Alan Munro (Godolphin has taken out its other two runners.)
Second race 2.45pm The Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint Handicap
No 9.Oldjoesaid: Jimmy Fortune replaces Jamie Spencer
Fifth race 4.35pm The RSA Nursery Handicap
No 1. Memen: Tom Queally replaces Jamie Spencer
Jamie Spencer, who is not riding Goodwood today, has a toe injury sustained after his foot was trodden on when unseated by Biaraafa before the start of the first at Leicester on Wednesday evening.