With plenty of winners over the five days our ace tipster tackles the Stewards Cup and every other race on the final day of Glorious Goodwood
Five days of racing in one of the most picturesque racing settings in the world comes to an end at Goodwood on Saturday. The Qatar Goodwood Festival, also known as Glorious Goodwood, is one of the highlights of the summer when the crowds come out to the Sussex venue in the hope of fine racing and fine weather.
Day five features the Coral Stewards’ Cup, contested by a maximum field of 28, the Group 2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes and the Group 3 Coral Glorious Stakes.
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Newsboy, aka David Yates, will be providing daily and detailed guides on every race.
1.20 Coral Glorious Stakes
AL AASY won this race in style 12 months ago and the title holder will be hard to beat. For a horse who has been called his fair share of names, William Haggas’s stable stalwart has an enviable record of 10 wins from 25 starts – that’s a 40 per cent win ratio.
His eighth victory came here in 2024 when the gelded eight-year-old and Jim Crowley threaded through a gap against the far rail to account for Relentless Voyager by one length.
Al Aasy then made light of a Group 3 penalty in Newbury’s Geoffrey Freer Stakes two weeks later and made it into double figures when returning to the fray in the same-level Gordon Richard Stakes at Sandown Park in April.
Again held up at the back of the seven-runner field, the son of Sea The Stars swept through to beat Ancient Wisdom by half a length, with Arabian Crown behind in sixth.
A funeral cortège gallop proved Al Aasy’s undoing when fourth in the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes at Newbury, and he didn’t get the breaks upped in class for Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes last time. But he should get a pace to aim at here and, back down in grade, must go well.
The rain-softened terrain is a plus for Arabian Crown, while Al Aasy’s stablemate Candleford is the choice for third.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 AL AASY, 2 ARABIAN CROWN, 3 CANDLEFORD
1.55 Coral Summer Handicap
SUBSEQUENT went from strength to strength in 2024 and will have no issue with the prevailing conditions. The Andrew Balding-saddled son of Galileo won’t win anything if he repeats the form of his comeback last-of-six behind Al Qareem in the Group 3 Silver Cup at York last month. But the chestnut four-year-old is better judged on his ascent through the ranks last season.
Unraced at two, Subsequent marked his third start by landing a novice stakes at Haydock Park in June of last year before entering the handicap domain to score at Salisbury and Newmarket during the summer.
On the back of a short-head defeat in Doncaster’s valuable Mallard Handicap in September, my preference went one better, by two and a half lengths from Allonsy, in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes – the one-mile, six-furlong race was staged on soft ground – at Ascot three weeks later.
A sizeable step forward from his reappearance is essential but, if it is forthcoming back in handicaps, David Probert’s partner is well capable of registering a fifth career win. The hat-trick-seeking Sam Hawkens is on the up and entitled to respect, along with French Duke and Aeronautic.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SUBSEQUENT, 2 SAM HAWKENS, 3 FRENCH DUKE
2.30 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes
GOODIE TWO SHOES has done very little wrong and, despite tackling Group 2 opposition for the first time, gets the vote rack up the four-timer.
She has a win in a mares’ maiden hurdle at Killarney to show from seven attempts over obstacles, but Joseph O’Brien’s daughter of Fastnet Rock has been a good deal more effective on the Flat, carrying the colours of JP McManus to six victories from 10 starts.
Half of those successes have come this season, starting with a six-length supremacy in the Listed Vintage Tipple Stakes – Goodie Two Shoes had finished third at Cork on her Flat comeback the previous month – over a mile and three-quarters at Gowran Park in May.
Staying at Listed level but moving up to two miles, the six-year-old went in again under Dylan Browne McMonagle – William Buick is in the plate this afternoon – with a length-and-a-half beating of La Isla Mujeres.
And she completed the hat-trick back at a mile and six in the Group 3 Stanerra Stakes back over at Fairyhouse 24 days ago, travelling strongly en route to a half-length margin from Drawn To Dream.
This test demands another personal best, but Goodie Two Shoes is thriving and it will be a surprise if this likeable mare doesn’t have more to give.
Term Of Endearment came home in front 12 months ago and should again go well, while stablemates Danielle and Sueno are taken to battle it out for the bronze medal.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 GOODIE TWO SHOES, 2 TERM OF ENDEARMENT, 3 DANIELLE
3.05 Coral Stewards’ Cup
COMMANCHE FALLS is well treated for his bid for racing history as the first three-time winner of the Stewards’ Cup.
The eight-year-old is currently in a share of the lead with Marvel (1980 & 1892), Golden Rod (1910 &1912), Lord Annandale (1913 & 1914), Sugar Palm (1942 & 1943) and Sky Diver (1967 & 1968) – all are two-time winners of the six-furlong test.
Michael Dods’ stable favourite can be backed at bid odds to land the overall record – but shouldn’t be underestimated.
The downside is the gelding’s losing run – 16 races since Commanche Falls lifted York’s Listed Garrowby Stakes in September 2023. But there are positives – and you don’t have to look too hard to find them.
The barren spell has seen Commanche Falls fall in the weights – he was rated 112 on the day of his latest win but will compete from a British Horseracing Authority handicap mark of 98 today. There is also the small matter of his ‘previous’ in this race.
In 2021, Connor Beasley’s partner galloped through soft ground to deny Gulliver by a neck.Twelve months later, on significantly quicker terrain, he followed up with a short-head call from Tabdeed.
Those wins – Commanche Falls is unbeaten in two visits to Goodwood – came from ratings 3lb and 5lb above this afternoon’s figure, and the recent return to form of the Dods yard fuels hopes of a revival.
In a typically open renewal, Hammer The Hammer, Jakajaro, Strike Red, and Apollo One are at the top of a long shortlist.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 COMMANCHE FALLS, 2 HAMMER THE HAMMER, 3 JAKAJARO
3.45 Whispering Angel Handicap
HEADMASTER is intriguing as he makes his debut in the handicap sphere. There is much to like about the William Haggas trainee’s pedigree – Headmaster is a son of Dubawi and the Somerville Lodge stable’s three-time Prix de la Forêt heroine, One Master.
Headmaster didn’t make the track as a juvenile and he was gelded by the time he took on seven opponents for a novice stakes at Lingfield Park in May, finishing a three-quarter-length second to Elarak.
The runner-up berth once more beckoned at Windsor at the end of June as Headmaster went down by a neck to Antipodes.
But there was no mistake at the third time of asking as my choice justified odds of 2-5 in style at Haydock Park 15 days ago, humbling Palio Di Siena by four and a quarter lengths.
Headmaster looks capable of a good deal better and, from an opening mark of 88, he should give Japanese rising star Mirai Iwata a good spin.
Dangers lurk at every turn, with top weight The Waco Kid, favourite Mudbir and the soft-ground-capable Spirit Of Farhh all with something to recommend them.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 HEADMASTER, 2 SPIRIT OF FARHH, 3 THE WACO KID
4.20 British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
CORINTH is put up as the value alternative to warm order Isaac Newton. The son of Dubai – dam Ricetta is a niece of Kingman who won twice for John and Thady Gosden – went off at 12-1 in a field of five when starting out for Clarehaven in a novice stakes at Sandown Park at the beginning of last month.
Prominent from the outset, Corinth looked in need of his first experience when asked to go forward entering the final two of the contest’s seven furlongs.
But he kept on to take fourth, two and a quarter lengths behind winner Pacifica Pier – Corinth’s stablemate Publish took second but is now the 2,000 Guineas favourite after going one better at the Esher track – and will know more this time.
Isaac Newton just missed out on his Curragh debut and is greatly feared, ahead of Exclusive Code.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 CORINTH, 2 ISAAC NEWTON, 3 EXCLUSIVE CODE
4.55 Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap
ALPHA CRUCIS gets the vote to improve on an already impressive Goodwood track record.From three visits, the son of Australia, trained in tandem by Gary and Josh Moore, has emerged victorious on three occasions.
Successful over a mile here in October 2023, the five-year-old was back in business over this afternoon’s course and distance last September before following up back at a mile on the South Downs 18 days later.
Not disgraced on his return when eighth in the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster in March, Alpha Crucis was a good second at Epsom on Oaks day and appeals from an unchanged mark.Gladius brings an attractive profile to the meeting’s finale, while Indalo and Toimy Son are also worth a second look.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ALPHA CRUCIS, 2 GLADIUS, 3 TOIMY SON
