Thursday, August 27, 2009

Brief notes on Goodwood (and Cartmel)

The feature on Saturday's Goodwood card is the Group 2 Celebration Mile due off at 3.10. Only seven stand their ground, with layers going 14/1 the field bar the top two - Delegator and Zacinto. I would have been interested in Mac Love each-way if eight or more had gone to post. Currently Delegator is priced at evens and Zacinto 7/4; Delegator is the form pick, Zacinto the improver. At those prices I'll maintain a watching brief.

In the Prestige Stakes (3.45) Sent From Heaven's third behind Long Lashes in the Sweet Solera Stakes reads well enough - that day Barry Hills' charge was noted flashing her tail out the back; she finished beaten two and a half lengths. On official ratings Full Mandate is the one although this filly steps up from six furlongs. I'll chance Sent From Heaven, although I would have preferred a slightly higher draw.

The winner has come from the top three in the betting on eight of the last ten runnings of the Windflower March Stakes (2.35); favourites have obliged on four of those eight occasions. Godolphin's Urban Poet will be popular with the weight for age allowance against Mourilyan. While looking for an each-way shot in this, I noted that only two of the field have won previously over the trip - Andrew Balding's Victoria Montoya and John Dunlop's King of Wands. On official ratings, the Dunlop horse looks well in, so I'll take an each-way interest in King of Wands.

At Cartmel, I'll watch to see if Tom George allows Invisible Man to take his chance in the 2.40. I'm not keen on four-year-olds running against their elders in novice chases but this one put up a good show over a slightly shorter at Market Rasen last time out. On the same card former Alan King inmate Noticeable will be worth noting if taking his chance in the competitive-looking handicap hurdle at 4.25; running over the larger obstacles at Southwell a fortnight ago, this one looked a big threat when coming to grief two out.

1 comment:

GeeDee said...

Delegator (4/6f) beat Zacinto (5/2) in some style to land the Celebration Mile by one and a half lengths.
Sent From Heaven (4/1) made all, nicked two lengths a furlong from home and just managed to hold on, beating Mudaaraah (4/1) a nose; a good ride from Robert Winston there.
I was surprised to see King Of Wands sent off at 9/4. The horse was close enough if good enough but weakened a furlong out to finish fifth behind Mourilyan (4/1).
At Cartmel, where the going was much softer than expected, The Invisible Man was spotted crossing the line but in second place after jumping the final obstacle in the lead - he had no answer to Shanballa's (4/1) turn of foot on the flat. Noticeable was not declared for the 4.25.