3.20pm The Gurkha battles to Sussex Stakes victory
Chris Cook: The Gurkha has won a thrilling battle of Guineas winners in the Sussex Stakes. The heavily backed Irish raider finished strongly to beat Galileo Gold after some trouble in running, with Ribchester surprisingly close up in third.
Frankie Dettori once more tried to pinch the race from the front on Galileo Gold, as he had at Royal Ascot, when The Gurkha finished strongly but too late under a Ryan Moore ride that attracted some criticism. A similar outcome seemed possible for a long way here as Galileo Gold set a steady pace to halfway and then quickened, with The Gurkha held in behind him by Awtaad.
But Awtaad could not go with the others in the last quarter-mile, allowing The Gurkha to move off the rail in time to make a winning move, rewarding those who backed him down to odds of 11-8. He was in front by a neck at the line with the late closer Ribchester just a short-head away in third, seeming to relish this fast surface.
“He’s a very good colt, we think a lot of him,” Moore said of The Gurkha, winning for the first time since his French Guineas success in mid-May. “He showed that in Deauville, that he was very good. Things haven’t been right for him since.
“I think it was a very good race, some good horses. He deserves his day today, you know?
“I was always very happy, he travelled so well. I knew as soon as one horse in front folded an inch, he’d be able to find room and make room. He’s such a good traveller, so much pace. I think when he gets on quicker ground, he’ll be better again.”
Aidan O’Brien, the winning trainer, suggested The Gurkha would return at some stage to 10 furlongs, the distance at which he was second in the Eclipse this month, when soft groud may have been against him. “We always viewed him as a miler that probably does get a mile and a quarter,” O’Brien said.
Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Unusually for day one of Glorious Goodwood, it seemed to me that no horses were really, properly, throbbingly unlucky in running yesterday. I suppose, by the law of averages, that means we can expect twice the normal daily quantity of misfortune in time for my tilt at the track today.
Staying handicaps at the major Flat festivals are a nice way of involving those trainers who don’t usually have much to do in the summer and I see that today’s opener, over two and a half miles, has been won in recent years by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Ian Williams and Nicky Henderson. To that list, Alan King may be added this afternoon.
He runs Oceane (2.00), still available at 10-1 in places. This four-year-old made so much progress in his first winter over hurdles that he was likely to prove well handicapped back on the Flat and he duly won at Ascot last time, finishing strongly to mow down Steve Rogers.
He doesn’t have bags of pace, which I believe was one reason for the switch from hold-up tactics to racing more prominently which worked so well that day. I hope the new tactics will be persevered with over this longer trip because I don’t fancy the idea of coming from the back of this 20-runner field on fast ground up Goodwood’s tricky straight.
This year’s Gordon Stakes is rather more gripping than most previous renewals, since the race functions normally as an unconvincing Leger trial. Ulysses is favourite and may well bounce back from his Derby disappointment, since that test undoubtedly came too soon for him.
But I’d rather take 13-2 about Qatari Hunter (2.35), a rapidly improving colt from the Jim Bolger yard that started the year so weakly but is doing rather better now. A well-held fourth in Harzand’s maiden at Cork in March, Qatari Hunter didn’t turn out again until early June, when he began a four-race winning streak that has brought him here.
Those wins were all in handicaps but, since he was rated 96 for the latest of them, he is well worth a try in a Group Three and his strong-finishing habit suggests an extra quarter-mile will be no bad thing around here.
I can’t pretend there is enormous value in the 15-8 about The Gurkha (3.10) for the Sussex Stakes but I do believe he’s going to win. I think he has plenty of zip for a son of Galileo and this fast-ground mile may be more suitable than the soft-ground 10 furlongs over which he was a game second in the Eclipse last time.
He has to turn around Royal Ascot form with Galileo Gold and of course there is a danger that this race may work out well for his rival, just as the Ascot race did. Galileo Gold is second-favourite here and I can understand why you might think that perverse, in light of his status as an impressive Guineas winner. But I think this might be the day when he comes up against something faster.
Hugo Palmer, his trainer, could get compensation with Bithynia (4.20) in the maiden later. Palmer’s two-year-olds come on a lot for a run and the maiden in which this filly was third at Sandown in May is working out nicely. She should not be 6-1 to beat Godolphin’s Bouquet De Flores, who ran so far below expectations on her recent debut. I note with interest that the Racing Post’s Newmarket tipster has opted not to offer a selection in the race.
This evening, we will also get the Galway Plate and I’m a bit surprised to be offered 20-1 about Devils Bride (5.30), even if he is not the first string of Gigginstown or Willie Mullins. Now nine but lightly raced, he improved rapidly through the autumn after a tongue tie was fitted and beat Sizing Granite in a Grade Three at Naas in November.
His mark of 150 still looks fair to me and he should be a deal sharper for his reappearance spin around Punchestown last month. He won around Galway in September and is the mount of David ‘Grand National’ Mullins.
Betfair Glorious Goodwood tipping competition, day two
kingklynch +13
Fixxxer +11
slowhandray +6.75
Hibeeman +6.75
watermelon12 +6.75
James ‘Jimmy’ Runacres +6.75
Ellandback +3.50
stanflashman +3.50
ID0330506 +3.50
Esherhammer +3.50
graftonway +3.50
wiggy12 +3.50
dean055 +3.50
stu1892 +3.50
TheVic +3.50
Lindsey6677 +3.50
Mai11 +3.50
dickthebutcher +3.50
diegoisgod +3.50
gawpingtongawper +3.50
ps4999 +3.50
RedmonT +3.50
fatdeano -0.75
wemeanyounoharm -0.75
Copshaw -0.75
72luca -0.75
William36 -0.75
jamesstod -0.75
Harry Bowles -0.75
kmill68 -0.75
Tiporama -0.75
robertkeen -0.75
Shrewdette -0.75
moidadem -0.75
Sportingbest -0.75
Blitzwing -0.75
Goldkid999 -0.75
Toptrapper -0.75
moomies -0.75
48Possums -0.75
GForce1 -0.75
Harrytheactor -0.75
alleged7 -4 NQ
JahLion -4 NQ
waltersobchak -4 NQ
snowy81 -4 NQ
yasmin11 -4 NQ
Perry Tang -4 NQ
Wrighty87 -4 NQ
BatmanKaisers -4
zubica19 -4
16heathermac01 -4
TommyOrts88 -4
NotABoss -4
jakebuckfast -4
titusisashambles -4
Bigboozer -4
Ormrod76 -4
factormax -4
beverley1976 -4
melonk -4
PHILYERBOOTS -4
Bacciodilupo -4
Michael Leedham -4
Simon Popplewell -4
jakesnake1 -4
joehow -4
Crasivo -4
SongMcRigobert -4
cerises -4
sandiuk -4
Geoff Staddon -4
chris1623 -4
gregcwb -4
AndieAndson -4
23skidoo -4
eddiesgottheblues -4
Mulldog -4
BearRides -4
paul gittings -4
millreef -4
pkhughesy92 -4
MISTERCHESTER -4
Kingklynch was the only one to find Elidor (16-1), which puts him ahead of his 82 rivals after Day One. Fixxxer comes next, having had both the 13-2 winners, while the next four also had doubles to start the week.
Just 34 of you remain in contention for Worst Tipster, about half as many as last year at the same stage. Commiserations to those of you who picked Union Rose, a late withdrawal from our third race, because of course any non-runner takes you out of the Worst Tipster running. Impressively, millreef was alert enough to nominate a (losing) substitute before the race began and remains a possible WT for the week.
Those on -4 but marked ‘NQ’ are not eligible for the worst tipster prize, having either picked a non-runner or posted their tips after the first race had started.
Today, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 2.35 Goodwood, 3.10 Goodwood, 4.55 Goodwood, 5.25 Goodwood.
Winners so far
Dutch Connection 9-4
Elidor 16-1
Boom The Groom 13-2
Desert Haze 13-2
We have two £50 bets as prizes this week, generously offered by Betfair, and, as has become our custom for Glorious Goodwood, we’ll be offering two prizes: one for the tipster that does best and one for the tipster that does worst. It’s a way of recognising what a tricky week this is for punters and how things can go badly wrong for any of us.
Prize 1: Best Tipster
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be four each day up until and including Friday. Non-runners count as losers.
If you have not joined in so far, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -4 and you will not be eligible for Prize 2.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Prize 2: Worst Tipster
As an additional prize for those at the other end of the leaderboard, we’re offering a one-off prize to whoever does worst this week. Our winner will be the one who finishes on -16 having picked horses at a shorter average starting price than all others who finished on -16.
To qualify for this prize, you must select a runner in each of our competition races. If one of your selections becomes a non-runner, you must replace it before the race starts or you will be eliminated. You will also be eliminated if any of your selections should happen to win.
If, at the end of the competition, two or more people on -16 are tied for the lowest average SP, the winner will be whichever of them posted their Friday tips earliest.
Otherwise, the usual terms and conditions apply.
Good luck! (or bad luck, as appropriate)
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
