1.50pm Goodwood - Group 3 Glorious Stakes (1m4f)
Just five runners head to post for the opening contest of the final day of Glorious Goodwood, but despite the small field we have a competitive race on our hands, as the market leader is currently priced at 7/2 and the "outsider" 5/1 in a wide-open Group 3 contest.
With that in mind it does make it slightly tricky to try and select the winner, but I can see Phantom Flight backing up his Newbury Listed success from last time and making it two wins in just two starts for George Scott who only picked this horse up recently.
He was previously trained by James Horton, winning 3 times in 11 starts, running well at the later stages of his stay at his previous yard, placing in a few Listed contests but not really looking like he was threatening to win.
However, the change of scenery has clearly given this lad a new lease of life, as he managed to land that Listed race at Newbury on stable debut, which is a remarkable piece of training really given the fact that he also didn't run for 343 days leading into that contest.
The conditions should be in his favour on Saturday and he can take the step up in class in his stride, plus he already has the measure of Al Aasy whom he did beat last time.
Callum Shepherd is going very well at the moment and is the main rider for Isle Of Jura for these connections, so he can notch another good race success onto his CV in these colours with Phantom Flight on Saturday.
- Selection - Phantom Flight (7/2 Win)
3.00pm Goodwood - Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes (1m6f)
This is usually another tricky race to decipher, as proved to be the case in last year’s renewal of the race when Sumo Sam absolutely blitzed clear in the early stages and was not for catching. He went from a 94-rated animal to suddenly an 8-length winner of a Group 2 and going up to a new rating of 109, taking her form to a whole new level.
However, that was in very soft conditions, and I just can't see her backing it up here this year, although there have certainly been bigger shocks in racing.
The one I like the look of here is Free Wind, in what could be a huge ride for the much talked about Kieran Shoemark, who will desperately need this Group 2 prize on his CV and get the Shoemark/Gosden partnership off into gear once and for all.
Free Wind can be a tricky ride, which will really test the metal of Kieran, but it was her run last time out that boosts confidence for her heading into this Group 2 on Saturday, as she finished a very decent 2nd behind Bluestocking in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes, and that horse has since gone on to Group 1 glory as well as a very decent 2nd in the King George at Ascot, stamping her authority as the best filly/mare in training at the moment.
Although beaten by six lengths in, Free Wind was slowly away that day and like most of the older Gosden horses, she probably just needed the run to blow away the cobwebs ready for this. She was a remote 4th in the race last season, probably not given the best of rides by Frankie Dettori, but it was mainly down to the fact the going was very soft, which made it incredibly tough for all the fillies in the race apart from the winner, who clearly loved it.
Arguably, Free Wind's best career performance came in the Yorkshire Oaks last season, where she was a head 2nd to Warm Heart, given a peach of a ride from Frankie, so Kieran will have to do the same here on Saturday. But the key factor as to why she ran well in that race was the ground, which was described as good-to-firm, and the same is expected at Goodwood on Saturday.
She is the best filly in the race, has the best form on offer and on her day could actually be good enough to land a Group 1, especially against her own sex. I really hope Kieran can get her head in front, as I am sure he will need it for a much deserved boost.
- Selection - Free Wind (10/3 Win)
3.35pm Goodwood - Stewards' Cup (6f)
Arguably the most competitive handicap of the entire season, the maximum field of 28 runners head to post and do battle for the huge prize down Goodwood's 6-furlong straight. When people say throw a dart and back whatever it lands on, that statement could not speak truer than for this contest, as it can seem to be a real lottery.
One thing to note is the draw as 7 out of the last 10 winners have been drawn stall 15 or higher (with the three exceptions being stalls 1, 3 and 4) so if it isn't a higher number stall that wins, it will most likely be right at the other end and a very low number.
That probably does not help us find the eventual winner, but it certainly narrows it down to around 8 who can win it. The stand-out for me is Apollo One for trainers Peter Charalambous & James Clutterbuck and jockey Richard Kingscote - a really nice sprinter who is the type to bounce back from a disappointing run last time out.
Coming out of stall 27, that might be one too high as the "plum" draw seems to be from 21 to 26, but the form this horse has to offer in these big-field handicaps is pretty decent, especially recently as he has come 2nd in the Wokingham last season as well as a very good 2nd in this race when there were 27 runners who contested the race.
He does have to carry a fair chunk of weight in the contest this year, but he has been in decent form this season so far with a 2nd at Newmarket for his first run of the season as well as a 3rd at Epsom next time out.
He was a shade disappointing when coming 6th at Sandown last time, but that was in a Group 3 contest so he probably found the contest a little hot to handle. Back down out of Group company and into Handicap company once again, he could go one better than when coming 2nd in the race last time. He is the one to side with for me, with conditions in his favour as well as a very nice draw.
- Selection - Apollo One (16/1 Each Way)
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell