Hi folks, Chris Cook here to talk you through the afternoon's action at Glorious Goodwood. Twin highlights today -- the Totesport Mile (3.30), a 20-runner handicap with such a strong bias to those drawn high that half the field have very little chance, and the Richmond Stakes (4.05), featuring some zippy two-year-olds.
2.25pm That man again
Johnny Murtagh racks up his sixth winner of the week on 100-30 favourite Sixties Icon in the opening Group Three race. Considering he's only had 11 rides, that's . . . adequate.
Many a St Leger winner struggles to score again after the longest Classic but that's Sixties Icon's third success since his big day in 2006. He even won a 10-furlong race earlier this year, showing astonishing speed for a Leger hero.
On Channel 4, Big Mac is dancing to a steel band. That's entertainment.
3pm So many ways to do your dough
Backers of Pusey Street Lady didn't get much of a run there -- she left jockey Ted Durcan behind as the stalls opened. At the other end of the race, Ron Cox's tip, Baby Strange (8-1), looked sure to win before being collared by Pearly Wey (10-1). It's a fun game, this betting, but you need a strong stomach.
3.15pm Paul Nicholls is at Goodwood
. . . and confirms that his stable stars, Denman and Kauto Star, are in great nick. Since neither of them will run until November, I'm not sure how vital this information is, but it's great to think that jumps racing is on the horizon again. Only three months 'til the Charlie Hall . . .
3.25pm For crying out loud . . .
Channel 4 have been leavening their racing coverage this week with regular bouts of fashion talk, which is fair enough. But perhaps they should have thought up some other topic for conversation before getting into the colour of socks worn by male racegoers, which Emma Spencer is now chirruping on about.
Has her producer got no sense of embarrassment? I understand that not everyone is fascinated by the minutiae of horse racing but surely an attempt to find the winner of the next would be slightly more interesting than this.
3.40 The most draw-affected race in Britain
As mentioned above, the Totesport Mile is famously draw-affected, and this year's renewal followed the pattern. Twenty runners and the first four were drawn 20, 19, 18 and 17. They were also the first four in the betting and the poor old bookies will be reeling. Still, look on the bright side . . .
Fifteen Love (5-1) pips 4-1 jolly Masaalek on the line to give trainer Roger Charlton his second consecutive winner in the race.
4.15pm Prolific wins the Richmond Stakes
It's been a good year for trainer Richard Hannon and it's just got a bit better. His 5-1 shot edges out Gallagher and Reve De Soleil to win this Group Two under Richard Hughes.
4.50pm Quick double for Hannon & Hughes
Sohcahtoa, napped by Ron Cox in this morning's paper, wins the nursery at 100-30. That means a nice draw for our very own DrKelso (see below). Well done sir! I trust the champagne will be flowing at Sacred Heart.
5.30 Murtagh denied!
A rare reverse for Johnny Murtagh as, riding Cheyenne Star, he narrowly fails to reel in Ryan Moore on Visit, who wins the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes at 2-1. Visit hadn't won for just over a year but, in hindsight, the form of her Lowther second looks even tastier than it did at the time -- she split Nahoodh (a Group One winner since) and Fleeting Spirit (beaten less than a length in a Group One at Royal Ascot). Of course, Visit was subsequently disqualified from the Lowther because of a banned substance in her sample, but we trust Sir Michael Stoute's filly will run into no such difficulty after today's success.
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