The principal focus is at Goodwood on August Bank Holiday Weekend, with a brace of group races and a listed contest. Proceedings kick off at just after 2 o’clock with the listed March Stakes over a mile and three-quarters.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The Geoff Wragg-trained Ivy Creek looks an interesting runner and after finishing a below-par fifth to Papal Bull in the Princess of Wales’ Stakes at Newmarket last time, he looks to return to the level of his two previous listed successes. Opposition includes Rayhani, Big Robert and Sir Michael Stoute’s Hard Top, who finished fourth to this week’s Ebor winner Purple Moon at this track three weeks ago.
The following two races on the card are the Prestige Stakes (dealt with in the race preview) and the Group 2 totesport.com Celebration Mile. Godolphin were successful with Caradak twelve months previously and saddle Blue Ksar this time around.
The son of Anabaa was beaten a length by Blytyhe Knight in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom in June but then went on to take a listed event at Pontefract two months later by two-and-a-half lengths from Contentious.
A strongly-contested renewal includes the re-opposing Blythe Knight, Dunelight, Selinka and the Cheveley Park-owned pair of Cesare and Echelon.
Further north, fourteen runners are set to line up in the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes. The likely favourite is recent Stewards’ Cup runner-up Borderlescott, who looks set to face opposition from the likes of Hellvelyn, Baltic King, Pivotal’s Princess and the Dandy Nicholls trio of Peace Offering, Tax Free and Strike Up The Band. The following totesport.com Stakes looks a pretty hot handicap contest.
Luca Cumani has enjoyed a profitable time on the Knavesmire this week and is responsible for Monte Alto, who followed his Folkestone victory when chasing home Muhannak at Windsor last time.
He runs off just a 3 lb higher mark here but is set to face a stern challenge from the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Cabinet, Warm Embraces and Mark Johnston’s Record Breaker, who carries a penalty for his success at Pontefract last Sunday.
Racing also takes place on Saturday at Cartmel, Redcar, Windsor and Newmarket. Balthazaar’s Gift, an arguably unlucky sixth in the Stewards’ Cup on his latest outing, attempts to make amends in the feature six-furlong listed race at the last-named venue.
Remember, you can get Timeform Race Cards for all this weekend's meetings from the downloads area.
