Tuesday’s UK racing tips come your way from the opening day of the Goodwood Festival on 30 July 2024.
Goodwood Festival – Day 1
Race 1 – ENFJAAR 28/10
The Chesterfield Cup gives us a wide-open handicap to kick off five days of top-class racing action, and with five places up for grabs, the likes of Bystander, Wadacre Gomez and Stay Well spearhead a host of each-way prospects.
However, the serious money appears to be on four-year-old ENFJAAR, who has been lightly raced by Roger Varian this term and is primed nicely for these big summer meetings.
A cosy win on Chelmsford’s all-weather in June served as a useful pipe-opener before landing the John Smith’s Cup at York last time out 17 days ago, and he looks capable of defying his inevitable six-pound hike here.
Race 2 – THE PARTHENON 3/1
Aidan O’Brien is also expected to land the HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes with the promising THE PARTHENON.
Not beaten far when fifth on his debut in the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes, the Kingman colt confirmed that promise when opening his account at the second time of asking at Gowran Park.
The Parthenon looked to relish the step up to this seven-furlong trip that day and while others have stronger form in the book, O’Brien’s youngster is open to major improvement.
Race 3 – ENGLISH OAK 7/2
The Wathnan Racing-owned ENGLISH OAK moves up to Pattern company in the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes following his scintillating victory at Royal Ascot.
The four-year-old fairly bolted up in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, coming home three lengths clear of what looked a competitive field and marking himself as the proverbial Group performer masquerading as a handicapper.
Ed Walker’s son of Wootton Bassett now faces the acid test of his ability, but heads into deep waters on a real upwards curve and plenty of momentum behind him.
Race 4 – KYPRIOS 33/10
It would take a brave man to bet against KRYPRIOS to land the prestigious Goodwood Cup (not to mention over a £250,000 in prize money) for the formidable Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore partnership.
Early-season successes in Ireland were a prelude to an imperious performance at Royal Ascot, where he landed the odds to win the Gold Cup with room to spare.
Having also won this in 2022, the six-year-old is hard to oppose here, and if his odds-on price looks prohibitive, then the Gosdens’ Sweet William (third in the Gold Cup) looks a decent candidate to chase him home in a possible straight forecast.
Race 5 – FAIR WIND 33/10
There’s plenty of high-quality sprinters capable of landing this handicap over the minimum trip, with FAIR WIND just about topping our shortlist to crown an excellent campaign that has produced two wins and two frame finishes from four outings.
The Owen Burrows-trained four-year-old was a course-distance winner here in May and he had excuses when finishing fourth in a competitive big-field handicap at Thirsk in mid-June.
He bounced back with a stylish win when last seen at Ascot 17 days ago, quickening nicely in the final furlong to win cosily ahead of 16 experienced handicappers, and anything like that performance should serve him well here.
Race 5 – CARRADOS 13/2
Clearly, there’s not much form to call upon in this two-year-old maiden, but one who has caught the eye in his limited two-race career is Archie Watson’s promising youngster CARRADOS.
A pedigree that suggests he should be tailor-made for this trip proved to be the case when finishing third of seven on debut at Leicester, and even more so when a closer runner-up of eight over this course and distance in early June.
Notably, three of the horses he beat that day have since gone on to win, and having been gelded himself since, he could well open his own account here under James Doyle.
Race 7 – STRUTTING 4/1
The Gosden-trained STRUTTING catches the eye in the Ridgeview Fillies’ Handicap.
Despite going off at odds of 33/1, the three-year-old finished an impressive second at Royal Ascot in the 30-strong field of the Sandringham Stakes and should be a leading player here.
Might also be worth having an each-way dabble on Moonspirit who is bidding for a hat-trick after wins at Hamilton and Beverley earlier in the month. Although this is a step up in class.
Race 8 – JUMBEAU 13/2
JUMBEAU is back down in grade after finishing seventh of 17 at Ascot earlier this month.
Had narrowly won over five furlongs at Windsor in May, before producing a good runner-up effort at the same track among similar company.
Could be worth an each-way shout at current price and has Oisin Murphy on board.
