The focus for Saturday's final day will be on big-field sprint handicaps, where winners will be worth finding with some very generous odds on offer
The Stewards’ Cup consolation race gets the day’s action under way on the concluding day of Glorious Goodwood and, if there is going to be a draw bias in the Stewards’ Cup, it should be revealed here.
So far this week they’ve been winning all over the straight track and it looks as though every runner will have a chance.
This race is packed full of some unexposed sprinters and actually looks harder to call than the Stewards’ Cup. This race has probably been the plan for Barnet Fair for some time and last year’s winner is now on the same handicap mark he was 12 months ago. He hasn’t been in great form recently, however, plus this looks a better race this time around anyway.
Golden Steps and The Hooded Claw have big wins in them this season but both would prefer softer ground, while Charles Molson holds a decent chance and a win for him would be a big pointer to the chances of Huntsmans Close in the big one.
However, the still lightly-raced 4yo Fast Track looks the one to be on as long as his high draw doesn’t turn out to be a disadvantage. He faced an almost impossible task last time out in the Scottish Sprint Cup behind Red Baron but back at 6f – the distance at which he was seen to best effect last season – he should be a force to be reckoned with.
He has been brought along slowly this year with just two runs and this might not even be the last big race he lands this season. Back Fast Track at a nice price.
Huntsman sure to go Close in Stewards’ Cup
The Stewards’ Cup itself might not be as tough to figure out as the big field suggests with many of these looking quite exposed. Officially the best handicapped horses are Tropics (16/1), who is due to go up 4lbs after finishing an agonisingly close second in the July Cup and also Poyle Vinnie (14/1), who won the Scottish version of this race recently.
Both looked flattered by those results, though, and the most likely winner is surely the reassessed Huntsmans Close, who is worth backing at 13/2. He is only up 4lbs for his victory at Windsor last time out which looks lenient. That came after he was a late withdrawal in the Wokingham and a big pot awaits here for a horse that hasn’t been out of the first three in his last five starts.
That includes a win in the Ayr Silver Cup and surely a crack at the Ayr Gold Cup follows this. A good run from Charles Molson in the opener would boost confidence further.
The sole 3yo in the line up, Magical Memory (6/1), deserves plenty of respect having won a really strong handicap last time out but 3yos don’t have the best record in this race and that is slightly off-putting. Basil Berry is capable of going well at a big price of 33/1 – he wasn’t seen to best effect last time out and could run into a place but he would probably prefer a stiffer 6f than he gets here.
Legatissimo can make up for luckless run
It is not just big handicaps that we get to look forward to on this card as there is also the Group 1 Nassau Stakes.
Legatissimo at 15/8 is the obvious starting point – she could easily be unbeaten in Group 1 company having won the 1000 Guineas in May but she has somehow managed to be beaten by just a short head in both the Epsom Oaks and the Pretty Polly Stakes.
Her conqueror in that latter race, Diamondsandrubies, who is 3/1, reopposes here and there is clearly very little between the pair. Legatissimo met with a bit of interference in that race early on, though, probably costing her the victory, and if she wins then Diamondsandrubies is unlikely to be far behind.
So instead of betting on Legatissimo at 15/8, there could be better value in a straight forecast, or even a reverse forecast.
That is not to say this is a two-horse race – certainly not with Star Of Seville (15/2) in the field, but Legatissimo should be the most-likely winner, making the forecast the best value bet in this contest.
Second place special: Betway will refund losing bets on selected races up to £25 if your horse finishes second and is beaten by less than a length. Terms and conditions apply.
