Stan James' Head of PR Charlie McCann with his personal fancies for this weekend's action.
The Group 1 Nassau Stakes today’s Goodwood feature is a cracker with last year’s winner Midday bidding to follow up for trainer Henry Cecil and jockey Tom Queally.
She lost nothing in defeat when failing to give 5lbs to dual classic winner Sariska on her reappearance at York back in May, and today’s race has long been her target before she returns to the States to defend her Breeders’ Cup crown.
Marginal preference however is for the French filly Stacelita (3.05) who looked a future superstar when winning the French Oaks (Prix de Diane) in such impressive fashion last year. She didn’t quite get home over a mile-and-a-half in the Arc behind Sea The Stars but this 10f trip looks ideal. She has the plum draw for someone who likes to race handily and should get a good tow into the race from the one-eyed Barshiba who looks sure to lead.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Strawberrydaiquiri is crying out for a step up to this trip having looked short of pace at the very top level over a mile last time and of the 3-y-olds Rosanara is another to consider.
She was just touched off in this year’s French Oaks but missed the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the month as she refused to get on a plane back in her native France! The grey has lost all three starts this term but she is another high-class filly in a terrific renewal of the race.
We at Stan James are offering ¼ odds all races at Goodwood today and five places on the Stewards’ Cup one of the big betting races of the year. There hasn’t been a single figure draw winner of the race since 2004 but there hasn’t been a draw bias either and apart from Conquest’s victory in 2008 at 40/1 fancied horses have held sway.
Local trainer William Knight has already had a week to remember following the victory of Illustrious Blue in the Goodwood Cup, but the hope is that Keiren Fallon gets the gaps aboard Palace Moon who has been placed in two big handicaps so far this season and deserves to win a big one. Sir Michael Stoute has a great record with older horses and it is interesting that connections have kept Enact in training. She looks a big danger.
I like the booking of crack Irish apprentice Gary Carroll for Peter Makin’s Peponi (5.25) in the final race of Glorious Goodwood 2010.
Having raced only four times in his career to date Peponi is open to considerable improvement and his narrow defeat by Suited And Booted reads very well at this level when you consider the subsequent exploits of the winner.
Aleqa looked to have more in hand than the length margin of victory at Yarmouth last time and a 3lb rise in the weights may not stop her from doubling up in the 6.55 at Lingfield this evening.
Be lucky
Charlie
