Amlad
It has been raining heavily at Goodwood for a little while now which is a shame as the ground had started to dry out nicely. It had been expected and as racing goes on it is likely to get testing. It was a shame Big Orange was denied in his bid to win a hat-trick of Goodwood Cups yesterday but he ran a very brave race and was a fair way clear of the third on ground that was softer than ideal
Dark Red ran a fantastic race yesterday and it was a great shame we lost the opening handicap in the Stewards room. I think he was the best horse in the race and after they had bumped he really stuck his neck out but he drifted half way across the track and we were very nervous it may get taken away from us. It had all gone perfectly for the majority of the race with him travelling so well in the perfect position and then the gap opened up at exactly the right moment, unfortunately he can hang left and he clearly did so again yesterday.
Al Nafoorah was drawn wide and was trapped wide early before having to be dropped to the rear of the field, she had no chance of winning the way things panned out and we can draw a line through this run.
We run three horses today at Goodwood. Amlad runs in the 14:25 which is a red hot handicap run over 1m4f. He has been progressive this year and whilst he is better off sitting handy, he does not have to lead. He is a galloper who lengthens rather than quickens but he seems in good form at home and I hope he can run well. The ground is a concern but only as we have never run him on it before, he has run well on fast ground and we have been trying to avoid soft ground as it is an unknown. Being by Lope De Vega he may well appreciate the ground and if he does then it will be beneficial as it will slow some of his rivals down. He has galloped on ground with some juice and gone nicely but by 14:25 it will be interesting to see just how soft it is. On To Victory has smart form to his name and is one who will definitely enjoy the ground whilst Secret Advisor has strong form claims but he is one who will have to prove himself on ground with ease. Brimham Rocks is another who will love this ground and he looks very progressive. It’s a strong race and from our wide draw in eleven we are up against it but we will cross our fingers and hope he can run a big race.
Teenage Gal runs in the 6f fillies’ Maiden. I hope she will be ok on a softer surface but this is her first day at school and whatever she does today, she will improve on next time. This is always a good Maiden and it should prove to be very informative. Sagely is in the 16:45 1m2f fillies’ handicap, a race she was second in last year. If the ground gets desperately soft then she may not run as I’m not sure she appreciated it at Beverley when running up there earlier in the year. She ran very well at Salisbury and seems to be coming back to her best so it’s disappointing to see the heavy rain falling. Indulged will love the ground and White Chocolate looks progressive and is a filly that has won at Goodwood already this year and she should handle the ground.