Coming up on July 30th is the much-anticipated ‘Glorious’ meeting at Goodwood.
Known officially these days as the Qatar Goodwood Festival, this five-day meeting is preferred by many to Royal Ascot and certainly the layout is similar.
In the old days, such festivals were the subject of huge ante-post betting action but that light seems to be dimming somewhat. Bookies are strangling the ante-post markets, offering prices we can more or less expect on the day.
While that may be true of favourites however, it isn’t necessarily the case with those lurking in behind. We’re taking a look at three key Glorious Goodwood races for 2024 and seeing where the early betting value lies.
Lennox Stakes – Tuesday July 30th
The seven-furlong Lennox Stakes is one of a number of races in Britain over that distance that borders Group 1 quality. With the likes of Haatem and Kinross at the top of the market this year, you can see why.
Odds of 4/1 and 5/1 are available for that pair respectively, with Haatem and English Oak (6/1) both representing Wathnan Racing. Audience has been perhaps a little overlooked as a Group 1 winner at 8/1, though he does carry a 5lb penalty for his Lockinge exploits.
It seems the race to concentrate on is Newmarket’s Criterion Stakes, won by Godolphin’s Noble Dynasty (5/1). He has improved nicely and at 115 is now rated up with the best of them. He can also still improve further.
The enigma that is Nostrum wasn’t far away that day having had a gelding operation and as the younger horse, 12/1 to overturn that form looks way too big.
A non-runner that day owing to the ground, something to bear in mind should it turn soft, was Tiber Flow. At 121/1 he is great value too as he is climbing the ladder all the time and showed an impressive turn of foot to land the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock.
Nostrum was a dead-set Group 1 performer in the making but was always a money as a younger animal. Given that it’s likely he’s now got his head on straight, his 12/1 looks way too big.
Sussex Stakes – Wednesday July 31st
The Group 1 Sussex is the feature race of the meeting, providing a chance to bring together the best three-year-old milers with the older horses. This year it seems the former group is the one to concentrate on.
Richard Hannon always told us Rosallion was a superstar and he was right. Second in the Guineas, he has since won the Irish Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes. At evens, he is a solid favourite.
It is crucial however to remember that he was beaten fair and square by the huge turn of foot shown at Newmarket by Notable Speech and he had not peaked at that point. True, he was disappointing at Royal Ascot, but nothing untoward was found he has since put in a startling piece of work on the gallops.
After the 2000 Guineas he announced himself as the top Classic miler and now, priced at 5/1, he is value to wrestle back his crown in what could be a brilliant championship race.
Stewards’ Cup – Saturday August 3rd
The six-furlong Stewards’ Cup is a real head-scratcher. A proper big Saturday betting handicap, it won’t be much easier to solve on the day than it is now but there is some betting value at small stakes if you look around.
But for the issues with not getting a run, three-year-old Sergeant Wilko would be interesting at 14/1. Without wishing to take lower prices just to get that run, he’s probably not worth risking.
Rock-solid at 25/1 is David O’Meara’s seven-year-old Aberama Gold. Kept busy this season, he’s bang in form right now having finished third in the Ayr Gold Cup Trial. Earlier in the year, he was third in a good race at Newmarket and he’s not lost his touch.
Albasheer (12/1) is hard to ignore, as is Purosangue who is a young horse going places but 12/1 isn’t massive in a race of this nature.
The other horse truly worth mentioning at a nice 40/1 is Hughie Morrison’s Haymaker. Just a five-year-old with improvement to come, he’s another at the lower end of the weights who’ll hopefully get a run. All his form this year reads well and he is still well handicapped.