Get our race-by-race preview for the penultimiate day of Glorious Goodwood 2024.
GOODWOOD FESTIVAL – DAY 4
Race 1 – GET SHIRTY 7/1
This penultimate day of the Goodwood Festival kicks off with a cracking stayers’ contest that sees 2022 winner and runner-up Master Milliner and Super Superjack, along with last year’s victor, Temporize, all bidding to rekindle former glories.
Kyle Of Lochalsh is also expected to go well, but we’re looking beyond those market leaders for the each-way value offered by GET SHIRTY for the in-form yard of David O’Meara.
Although winless in 18 attempts since completing a hat-trick this time two years ago, there have been a few near misses in the meantime, and he looked close to his best when finishing a 33/1 fourth of 20 in the competitive Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting six weeks ago.
Get Shirty is now comfortably below his last winning mark, and with the capable Danny Tudhope at the reins, the eight-year-old could well punch above his dropping weight here.
Race 2 – SOCIALITE 11/2
SOCIALITE can get back in the winner’s enclosure in the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes.
The Too Darn Hot colt was unraced as a juvenile and launched his three-year-old season with victory over seven furlongs at Leicester, coming home a length and a quarter clear of Fair Point.
The Charles Hills inmate backed that up at Doncaster with another impressive victory, beating King’s Gamble by a length and a half.
He was then stepped up in grade to Listed company at Newmarket, as well as moving up in trip to a mile, for the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes, where he faded late on to come home fourth.
Socialite stays at a mile here, but having raced keenly that day, he can put that behind him and get back to winning ways in Sussex.
Race 3 – PEROTTO 13/2
PEROTTO can put a couple of near misses behind him and get his nose in front in the Coral Golden Mile.
The six-year-old ended last season by winning the Shergar Cup Mile and on his seasonal reappearance he was only beaten a length when third in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
He was then only three-quarters of a length behind Cicero’s Gift in the Coral Challenge and can find his first win of the season here.
Race 4 – ASFOORA 33/10
ASFOORA can add to her Royal Ascot victory with more glory in the King George Qatar Stakes.
The Australian raider has spent the summer in the United Kingdom based at the Newmarket stables of Amy Murphy.
Henry Dwyer’s mare had her first taste of British racing at Haydock, where she was fourth of nine in the hands of Mitchell Aitken behind both Kerdos and Live In The Dream, who reoppose on the Sussex Downs.
On faster ground at Ascot, though, it was a different story as she galloped home a length clear of the King Charles III Stakes field under Oisin Murphy, leaving a number of runners who will again take her on trailing in her wake.
Race 5 – CICERO’S GIFT 9/4
CICERO’S GIFT then spent 382 days off the track after he suffered bone bruising in all four fetlocks but he shrugged that off as he made a winning return back down in handicap company in the Coral Challenge at Sandown.
He can pick up a fifth career victory at Goodwood if he can hold off William Haggas’ My Prospero who is likely to go off as favourite.
The five-year-old won a Listed affair on first outing following a two month break at Goodwood last September, but finished seventh in the Champion Stakes when stepping up to Group 1 level last October. Makes seasonal debut here so will be fresh.
Race 6 – RARE CHANGE 4/1
This cavalry charge of lively two-year-olds should make this wide-open handicap entertaining viewing, with plenty among the 17 scheduled starters capable of landing a blow.
Catching the eye more than most is the booking of red-hot Oisin Murphy to pilot the handily-weighted RARE CHANGE.
The Richard Hughes-trained colt is one of just four runners yet to visit a winner’s enclosure, but he came close last time out at Haydock a month ago, when he finished third, just a neck behind reopposing runner-up Sex On Fire, who was also just a neck behind the winner.
Rare Change has plenty of scope to make the necessary improvement here, while anyone looking to dabble on an outsider might be rewarded by the double-digit odds of Cayman Tai, who converted three straight runner-up spots into a maiden win at Ffos Las last time out.
Race 7 – BLAKE 13/2
There’s plenty in with a chance here, but we’re siding with Peter Chapple-Hyam’s accomplished colt, BLAKE, who was notably withdrawn from his Thursday entry in favour of this tilt over a longer 11-furlong trip.
He has made the frame in all six outings his making his debut last September, and having opened his account over a mile at Sandown in May, he doubled his winning tally when stepped up to this 10-furlong trip at the same venue last time out a month ago.
The handicapper has put an extra nine pounds on his back for that success, which was on soft ground, so if the forecast thunderstorms soften up the current fast going, then Blake could well be there or thereabouts here under Billy Loughnane.
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