By Tony Calvin - 28 July 2026
Goodwood’s card on Tuesday is hide-behind-the-sofa stuff when it comes to the big-field handicaps, and the Group races on the card are also precarious too, with two consisting of the dead-eight and the other a six-runner 2yo race which the betting is telling us is effectively a match.
Not for the faint-hearted then, and this Cowardly Custard will be staking (or not) accordingly.
With Goodwood a five-day meeting, and liver-busting Galway going on all week, there is no excuse for not picking and choosing your betting battles wisely.
I think I heard Goodwood clerk of the course Ed Arkell on Sunday say that he would like to start the meeting on good ground (it is currently good, good to firm in places, so they aren’t far off); they have clearly been watering the granny out of the course then but, crucially, they have been telling us how much.
Well done.
Midak is a NR as at 7.24am (bitten), so I at least won’t behind after the first.
Six horses were balloted out of this 1m2f handicap – get your money back on those (see list below) – but it will still be bumper cars all the way with a maximum field of now-17 runners.
This is exactly the type of meeting where Jamie Spencer gets brickbats and bouquets in equal measure, and it will be interesting what tactics he adopts on [12/1] poke Midak.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard last season, he made all for a couple of successes (including a Group 3) before going off at 9s in the Derby when looking a non-stayer.
In fact, he again looked a weak-ish finisher over 1m4f when fourth here on his return here last month, but he still ran well enough and that was a nice sighter of the track if that was their intention.
He has been slowly away and ridden chilly since being bought for 300,000 euros in November and joining Ian Williams, but Spencer has the option of going forward from stall five again if he can galvanise the horse a bit better coming out of the stalls.
They may ride him for luck though, off the pace, and, if getting the breaks, he is weighted to play a role off 102 on his handicap debut.
And he certainly shaped a bit better than the bare form when given a relatively easy time of it behind Persica in Listed company at Newbury earlier this month, when he was again reined back coming out of the stalls in a small field.
For what it is worth, Spencer won this race on the owner’s 33s poke Ancient Rome in 2023 (that horse was one of the six balloted out – but the same owner’s Twisting Physics scraped in 18 of 18), nailing the field close home, and Ian Williams has been back among the winners lately.
There is 12s available, five places, out there but I’ll be having a very small win-only bet on the exchange (currently 15.5 as the piece goes live), given the depth of the race and the sheer numbers and resulting traffic issues.
He is a NR (see above).
I also quite like Liberty Lane at 14s going on from stall four, general 10s poke Quai De Bethune – it is no secret Wathnan Racing want to win here and have maybe campaigned their handicappers accordingly, if you know what I mean… – and Diego El Queso (though that one has shortened to 10s to 8s already and that price may be coming under pressure too) but the list of credible rivals goes into double figures here.
This really is minimal-stakes, win-only, stuff for me.
And no-bet now Midak is out.
The shortening – I hesitate to say money is the main reason given the hour – of Diego El Queso has continued, and that one now ranges between 7/2 and 9/2, with just one firm offering the latter price.
The same horse is 7.6 on Betfair.
Go figure, while fully accepting a monkey on the exchange would make him 4s.
Yesterday’s favourite Noble Horizon is currently 10.5, with Twisting Physics and Al Aali strong enough.
The aforementioned match between [7/4] Al Hudaiba and [2/1] Haffner here in the Vintage Stakes, but I am not sure this is quite as simple as a two-way go.
The pair line up against two unbeaten colts after all, and none of the six juveniles have raced more than three times.
Hardly exposed.
Al Hudaiba is currently the most talented but quirky with it – hence the first-time blinkers (see Charlie Appleby’s headgear record below) – and maiden winner Haffner’s prominence in the market has a lot more to do with connections and potential than what he has achieved on the track (form and time-wise).
A win for any of the six wouldn’t surprise (the outsider is only 14s and as low as 11s) but the overpriced one is surely Pikachu, 8s fixed-odds (the 9s went on Monday morning).
I think it is fair say that Charlie Johnston, Amo Racing and David Egan would very much like to slot this Group 2 into the winning tray, and he only has 1 ¼ lengths to find with the favourite on their Superlative Stakes run last time, with a 3lb swing in his favour.
That looks solid Group 2 form, with the fifth and fourth finishing 1-2 in a Listed race at Ascot last week, and the 8s about him looks the best bet if you want one. I’ve had a score at slightly more than 8s on the exchange – big-time charlie, me.
I loved the way he was on the front end and stayed on tenaciously near the line too, and this track could just suit an attacking run-style like his, though the stable is not in good form. They had a welcome winner on Monday though – and everyone will be eyes-out for the pre/post-race owner interviews if ITV and RTV have the minerals….
Once again though, where are all these Group-class 2yos?
Haffner and Al Hudaiba are now [2/1] joint favourites, and a touch bigger on the exchange.
Dr Rascal is the mover into 6s , having been 9s yesterday.
Just the eight runners for the 7f Group 2 Lennox Stakes , and the first and second favourites, Lake Forest and Qirat, have also been confirmed for the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday.
Thankfully, for potential each-way backers here, it sounds like the intention is to run them in both races. And in either case, it will be the Sussex Stakes’ numbers that will be suffering if they don’t, not this race.
A dead-eight always carries betting risks, especially with a couple in here that would prefer a bit more dig than seems likely. Though, of course, we don’t know how much the watering has affected the ground. The early times on Tuesday will tell all.
For all his win strike-rate is poor for a horse of his quality, and maybe this track isn’t ideal for him either, I’d rather be a backer than a layer of Lake Forest at evens (he is available at 6/4 in fact as at 4.30pm and a touch bigger in near-empty Betfair market).
Admittedly, he got his arse handed to him to the tune of nearly three lengths by Witness Stand (the opening 12s about him predictably didn’t last long on Sunday) in a very strange renewal of this race last season, but he was very impressive on his return over this trip at Haydock (his first start since being gelded) and things didn’t go his way once again over 6f in the Jubilee Stakes last time, his rider never being available to get serious in traffic after being held up too far off the pace.
He looked an unlucky loser to me, but that’s a familiar observation with this horse, who I have always thought wanted headgear.
Even so, it’ll be disappointing if he doesn’t take care of these, with a strong pace seemingly assured. Cieren Fallon just needs to sit closer to it.
Witness Stand looks the obvious each-way option (ahead of Qirat and Marvelman) at the generally available [15/2] if all eight go.
An underwhelming prep at Chester last time was probably a means to an end in coming to this race once again (he was beaten a head it in last year before winning here) and that success in this last year gives him strong form claims, for all it was a bizarre watch.
And that narrow Epsom second to Ten Bob Tony last month doesn’t look too shoddy now, either.
And if you can get 4s or bigger without the favourite about him when all those lines come out later/in the morning, that would interest me, too.
Lake Forest is out to [6/4] and a touch bigger win-only – I am seriously tempted. And I have got involved at 2.64.
Qirat is into a general 3s, with 10/3 in a place.
The first surprise of this race was all eight from the five-day stage standing their ground – Illinois was put in at the very last minute, to shepherd his stablemate no doubt – but will there be a second?
As the betting suggests, it is hard to see Scandinavia and Trawlerman both getting chinned, or even finishing out of the first three, so is there even an each-way angle here with one spot for grabs, even before factoring in the absolute bet killer of a late non-runner?
Probably not.
Rahieeb, who looked an obvious non-stayer over 2m4f at Ascot, was the each-way angle ante-post when people expected less than eight runners – one firm were offering three places so they would have seen all the each-way filth – but it’s an easy race to watch without a bet.
Which could not be readily said of all Goodwood races if you do have one…
No real movement.
Wheels Of Fire is a NR as at 8.54am (doubly declared).
Twenty-three runners going at in a Goodwood 5f sprint handicap on heavily-watered ground – be thankful for small mercies we didn’t get a full field of 26 – so what’s not to like?
Quite a lot actually!
If you are looking for a reasonably solid each-way proposition then I’d say Glamorous Breeze fits the bill at 14s, a price available in seven places as this race preview goes live.
Please note she was 25s and 22s yesterday and 18s (Oddschecker saying 25s in a place but not so sure there) at the start of Monday, so there may be a market correction shortly to very limited early money.
She may be eight now but she is very consistent, she comes here in good form (punted from 22s to 14s on the show and finished a close fifth at Ascot last time off a 1lb higher mark), a midfield draw in 12 is more than acceptable and her small stable is in cracking form, recording a 33 per cent strike rate in both June and July, with a Saturday sprint winner at Ascot in All Ways Glamorous (her full sister, in fact).
Add in her Goodwood record (four starts, one win and never been beaten by more than 1 1/2 lengths in the other three) and she is as solid as you will get in this cavalry charge, for all she has never won off a mark as high as this and she could run well and finish eighth.
That’s the nature of the sprint handicap beast.
The shortening of Glamorous Breeze has arrested; she is currently 23.0 on Betfair (normal liquidity comments apply), so I imagine her top price of 11s, and her low of 8s, can be expected to lengthen asap.
Other than that I couldn’t see any newsworthy lines yet.
Money has subsequently come for Rappers Delight, now 8s.
You can always tell when a big meeting is struggling to fill – and this one is comfortably a day too long – when maidens get a look-in.
Admittedly, this is a 60k maiden, at 4.45pm, and Wathnan Racing have a couple of live ones here, notably, and most obviously, the [15/8] favourite Launch Sequence, who shaped very well at Doncaster earlier in the month and is from the in-form Karl Burke yard.
Major Looktwice is a NR.
But this isn’t really a punting vehicle, like most of the card in truth.
There are 14 runners in the 1m fillies’ handicap at 5.20pm now that Betty Clover is out.
Rather boringly I’d agree with the assessment that makes the progressive Annastarzy favourite here, a course winner firmly on the up. And the available 4s isn’t bad, I guess.
The finale at 5.50pm is a 20-runner 6f handicap (Zighy is a NR). Not an easy end to the day.
Do they still call it the getting-out stakes?
There was a bit of money around for Rogue Attraction through Monday and I can see that after her Carlisle win in a decent time.
She has been clipped into 10s from 12s, though she is [14.0] on Betfair.
Pikachu at 8s in 2.25pm
GOING: Good, good to firm in places
Going Stick: 7.0, Tuesday 7.20am
36.2% soil moisture
TUESDAY COURSE UPDATE: 0.4mm rain yesterday. A dry & settled outlook 25-29C for the week. Current weather details from our weather station available here; https://bit.ly/2E6dYhB
WATERING: 10mm to the Straight Monday 15mm to the Round Course Tuesday 12mm to the Straight Wednesday 10mm to Round Course Thursday 7.5mm to the Straight on Friday 5mm to Round Course on Saturday 8mm to the Straight Sunday; 5mm to the Mile Monday
Weather forecast: Dry and sunny, 25-27 degrees
John and Thady Gosden blinkers; Torito, 1.50pm; 16-89 (since 2021)
Michael Bell cheekpieces; Parole d’Oro, 1.50pm; 4-61 (2016)
Charlie Appleby blinkers; Al Hudaiba 2.25pm; 15-55 (2014)
Charlie Johnston cheekpieces; Lazy Griff, 3.35pm; 7-71 (2023)
Ed Walker blinkers; Miss Alpilles; 3.35pm; 6-70 (2011)
Richard Spencer cheekpieces; The Man, 4.10pm; 7-86 (2016)
1.50pm: Castle Stuart, Love Beach, Ammes, Ancient Rome, Port Of London, Spoken Truth
1.50pm Goodwood: Liberty Lane (drawn 4) , Bolster (16), Yabher (14), Wave Rider (15), Rathgar (7), Noble Horizon (8), Twisting Physics (6) – Midak is a NR
2.25pm Goodwood: Dr Rascal (2), Haffner (3), Pikachu (prom)
3pm Goodwood: Poet Master (2), Qirat (5), Witness Stand (3)?
3.35pm Goodwood: Amiloc? (1), Lazy Griff (3), Trawlerman (8), Ilinois (was put in at very last moment to keep the dead-eight – 7)
4.10pm Goodwood: Run Boy Run (17), Lexington Blitz (5), Candy (21), Democracy Dilemma (7), Toca Madera (4), Regal Envoy (8), Naana’s Sparkle (6), Exclamation (22), Tatterstall (13), Seven Questions (16), Dyonisos (15), Spring Is Sprung (23), Reigning Profit (11) – Wheels Of Fire NR
Good: Andrew Balding (excellent), Ralph Beckett, Ed Walker (double on Monday), John and Thady Gosden (excellent), Charlie Appleby, Joseph O’Brien (excellent from such a big sample – 18/1 and 13-8 winners on Monday), James Owen (excellent, and among the winners again on Sunday and Monday), Roger Varian (excellent), Karl Burke (flying along), George Scott, Kevin Phillipart De Foy, Jack Channon (11-2 winner on Monday), Lemos De Souza (2 from 6), Grace Harris, Ruth Carr (another winner, at evens, on Sunday), David Evans, Christopher Mason, Michael Dods (12/1, 7/2 and 13/8 winners on Monday)
Fair: Hamad Al Jehani (very small sample, as usual), Richard Hannon, Clive Cox, Richard Spencer, William Haggas (4-1 winner on Monday), David O’Meara, Oliver Cole, Newland and Insole, Jack Morland, Ian Williams, Ger Lyons, Michael Bell, Simon and Ed Crisford, George Baker, William Knight (fair/good), Paul Midgley
Moderate: Aidan O’Brien (moderate for him), Kevin Ryan, Charlie Johnston (7-2 inner on Monday though), Julie Camacho, Richard and Peter Fahey
Don’t know: Mohammed and Santos, Oli Rix (1 winner from 2 runners, so obviously good from tiny sample), Robert Cowell (0 from 6 recent runners – very quiet)
STATS/INFO SECTION 1.COURSE DETAILS RIPON GOING: Good, good to firm in places GOING STICK: 7.3,…
On this week’s Pod: 0-4mins – Intro: No Harry & Betting Big Bucks 4-13mins –…
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