I'm backing a 33-1 outsider to love the Goodwood conditions and spring a shock in the big betting race
That's my idea for thinking classy mare
VADREAM
could bounce back to form at Goodwood today.
1
I think it could be a big day for Charlie Fellowes at Goodwood on Saturday
Credit: PA
Vadream and her trainer Charlie Fellowes are due a huge domestic run, and Saturday's big betting race - live on ITV - could be just the ticket.
I'm talking, of course, about the cavalry charge that is the Coral Stewards' Cup, with getting on for 30 runners set to go to post. It's a nightmare!
Not many in the field are running off their lowest ever rating, but Vadream is one.
The Charlie Fellowes-trained seven-year-old goes off 96, having stared the campaign on 105. She's once been up to 108.
Of course it could just mean Vadream is a shadow of her former self and gone at the game. But I'm not so sure.
For most of her life, Vadream has loved some cut in the ground.
This season she's never raced on a surface slower than good, and last time when last in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot she was asked to perform on good to firm.
Back in the day she has finished fourth in the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup and fifth in a Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
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On soft and heavy she has a Palace House and Cammidge Trophy in the bag and a fifth in the Group 1 Champions Sprint.
If there is rain before the Stewards' Cup, Vadream might just love it and she can be ridden cold by Kieran Shoemark and hopefully finish off strongly.
Obviously she's a massive price and it's a big risk.
But that's why it's called gambling. You pay your money you take your chance.
The final day of Glorious Goodwood gets under way on ITV with the Group 3 Glorious Stakes over 1m4f.
Not a competitive start and a big chance for
AL AASY
to get back to winning ways for William Haggas and Jim Crowley.
The eight-year-old started the campaign with success in the Gordon Richards at Sandown with Ancient Wisdom and Almaqam seen off.
He's disappointed since then but a repeat of the Esher form should be good enough.
Next a handicap over 1m6f.
SAM HAWKENS
might well have another win him him off 92 - his dam was 100 rated back in the day.
The William Haggas-handled improver has landed his last two starts on the artificial and at Hamilton and impressed in both.
He's improving at the right time and with Tom Marquand up might well be able to land this.
Up in class now for the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes for fillies and mares over 1m6f.
Could be another here for Haggas with
TERM OF ENDEARMENT
again under Marquand.
This filly was a fine second at York two runs ago when just nutted on the line.
She was poor at Sandown in a Listed marathon when last seen and sent off favourite, but to be honest I never fancied her for that race and suspect the trip was a little too far.
Finally at Goodwood a handicap for three-year-olds over 7f.
A mark of 99 looks interesting for the useful juvenile
YAH MO BE THERE
who has a two-year-old win in Listed company to his name at Newbury when taking the Rose Bowl.
He was last seen finishing fifth in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes (switched at the start and won his group) at Royal Ascot and that run suggested this trip is perfect for a horse who has gone up to a mile.
I expect a typical Jamie Spencer drop out ride and hope he can finish off with a flourish. An each-way bet.
It's been some week on the Sussex Downs, with the success of Qirat in the Sussex Stakes one few will forget.
It reminds all of us that you need a good horse to be a pacemaker in a Group 1, and if you give those kind of animals an easy time and they are running over a trip they enjoy upsets can happen.
Apparently Field of Gold, the hot favourite for the Sussex, is lame, but I had questioned whether he would enjoy coming down the Goodwood hill having been paceless when asked to quicken in the 2,000 Guineas when going down into the dip.
Connections threw their toys out the pram and many punters blamed Shoemark that day, but I suspect there was much more to it than the obvious.
Everyone likes a scapegoat.
Scandinavia proved a stayer to follow in the Goodwood Cup.
I really liked him in my column and I hope you followed the advice.
Today, quite simply, I have a 'va' dream.
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