Neil Morrice brings you all of his best bets and tips from Thursday’s racing at Glorious Goodwood and Galway Festival.
GLORIOUS GOODWOOD
Race 1 No2 AERION POWER
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa
AERION POWER is a winner without a penalty in a fascinating opener following a defeat at Doncaster in which his jockey mistook the winning line. The Kingman colt had earlier won his first two starts of the campaign before being overwhelmed in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot. His claims are stronger than most and only a high draw tempers enthusiasm, a factor that lively outsider Dingle also needs to overcome.
Race 2 Unibet Richmond Stakes (Group 2)
No1 PERFECT POWER
Trainer: Richard Fahey – Jockey: Paul Hanagan
PERFECT POWER may encounter vastly different going to that of his Norfolk Stakes triumph and if so his ability to handle it has to be taken on trust. He looked a speed machine at Ascot but should be fine moving up to six on a fast track, while a penalty might not stop him in this mouth watering clash with Super Sprint winner Gubbass and Asymmetric. Gubbass returned from a long break to take out that Newbury feature, while Asymmetric only surrendered his unbeaten record to the smart Lusail in the July Stakes at Newmarket.
Race 3 John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (Group 3)
No8 WORDSWORTH
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
This traditional trial for the St Leger has WORDSWORTH’s name written all over it. The Galileo colt has chased the shadow of Hurricane Lane in successive Group 1s at the Curragh and Longchamp and greatly deserves to return to winning ways. He’s proved a model of consistency, and looks every inch a horse that wants to go further than a mile and a half. With that in mind it will be to his advantage if Aidan O’Brien’s other participant Sir Lucan elects to set a decent pace. The Camelot colt beat my selection at Navan but that was back in May, and he could improve on first run from that break. Third Realm is a name to conjure with based on his defeat of subsequent Derby and King George winner Adayar in the Lingfield Derby Trial. The Sea The Stars colt was then far from disgraced when fifth at Epsom. The Godolphin-owned Yibir looked the part when gaining a first win of 2021 in a Group 3 at Newmarket, and needs respecting.
Prediction: 1st WORDSWORTH, 2nd Third Realm, 3rd Yibir
Race 4 QATAR NASSAU STAKES (Group 1)
No1 AUDARYA
Trainer: James Fanshawe – Jockey: William Buick
AUDARYA has been a major success story for her trainer and sets a high bar for the others to aim at in the Day 3 feature. Winner of a Group 1 at Deauville and the Grade 1 Filly And Mare Turf at the Keeneland Breeders’ Cup, the daughter of Wootton Bassett put in an eye taking effort on return to the fray when running Love to three-quarters of a length in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. If building on that she will be very hard to beat. Aidan O’Brien’s Joan Of Arc put up a staying performance of great credit when taking out the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly, and as a three-year-old gets a handy allowance from her older foe. She can chase home Audarya, with Lockinge Stakes heroine and Falmouth Stakes fourth Lady Bowthorpe seemingly booked for minor honours.
Prediction: 1st AUDARYA (Nap), 2nd Joan Of Arc, 3rd Lady Bowthorpe
Race 5 No13 MAYFAIR STROLL (Each Way)
Trainer: Charles Hills – Jockey: William Buick
MAYFAIR STROLL hacked up when opening her account in a Lingfield nursery last week and reappears under a 6lb penalty in a race her owners like to patronise. The Gleneagles filly goes up 9lb in the future, so is effectively 3lb well in. Dangers abound in the form of Richard Hannon’s pair of Ardbraccan, whose form has worked out, and South Audley. Both scored on the outings that earned them a handicap mark, and further progress is on the cards. Another to bear in mind for exotics is Aswan, who has knocked on the door and can earn.
Race 6 No13 SIGNORINA MERISI (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Martin Harley
SIGNORINA MERISI is not an obvious choice for this fillies’ maiden but her experience could help her run into the money. The daughter of Caravaggio showed good early speed before weakening on her second and latest start at Newmarket. That was won by Ardbraccan, whose run in the nursery will give us a good line onto the main pick.
Race 7 No2 TWILIGHT CALLS
Trainer: Henry Candy – Jockey: David Probert
TWILIGHT CALLS can light up the nightcap and emerge as a flag bearer for his trainer, who is very adept with sprinters and trained the selection’s Group 1-winning sire Twilight Son. Although turned over in a muddling race at Leicester, Twilight Calls has been impressive in his other two starts this year and particularly so at Newmarket’s July meeting when he and runner-up King Of Stars pulled clear.
GALWAY FESTIVAL
Race 2 No7 LOW SUN
Trainer: Denis Hogan – Jockey: D Meyler
LOW SUN has troubled the judge in both starts over fences since joining his trainer. And though beaten a long way in a Flat race here on Tuesday he will be back in his comfort zone returned to chasing.
Race 4 GUINNESS GALWAY HANDICAP HURDLE
No1 SALDIER
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Mr P Mullins
SALDIER failed to cut the mustard in the Ascot Stakes, but nevertheless finished only just out of the money in fifth and was beaten only two and a quarter lengths by the winner Amtiyaz. He had previously taken out a Listed prize at Listowel and brings a class element to the table. Since his arrival in Ireland from France he’s been a good earner, though not without his issues. Stablemate CIEL DE NEIGE looks one of several dangers and should be sharper following a near miss at Punchestown in early May. SOLE PRETENDER has a very good strike-rate with seven successes from only 11 career starts and needs respecting, even though he’s taken a hike in the weights. WINNER TAKES ALL looks one of the more likely contenders from the base of the handicap, while a return from the wilderness is not impossible for TUDOR CITY, who has also tumbled down the weights.
Prediction: 1st SALDIER, 2nd Sole Pretender, 3rd Tudor City, 4th Ciel De Neige, 5th Winner Takes All
Race 5 No16 PUNTERS POET (Nap)
Trainer: Matthew Smith – Jockey: Paul Townend
PUNTERS POET landed some good bets when coming from last to first to score at Roscommon earlier in the month and after a recent spin on the Flat can have a say in this fiercely competitive handicap hurdle. The strong traveller is reunited with Townend, who timed it to perfection at Roscommon and is sure to play a waiting game again.
