This week, the Qatar Goodwood Festival joins the summer sporting jamboree, with the Sussex venue laying on five seven-race cards for our viewing and punting pleasure. Many of the stars of 2024 are among the entries, and nowhere more so than in the Sussex Stakes, which acts as the Group 1 centrepiece on Day 2.
Here, we pick out our best bets in the four non-handicap contests on the Day 2 card, which gets underway at 1:50 on Wednesday, 31st July.
2:25 Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes, 7f, Group 3
We kick things off in this 7f affair for the fillies and mares. Open to runners aged three and over, the past ten editions have been shared evenly between the Classic generation and their elders.
The John & Sean Quinn-trained Breege looks the best of the older performers, with the four-year-old running consistently well all season. The pick of her efforts came when landing the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes in June. If in the same form here, she should go close, but she must carry a 3lb penalty for that Epsom success, which makes life tough.
Roger Varian’s Jabaara looks the most obvious of the youngsters, having run well for second behind Porta Fortuna in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes last time. Already a dual winner at this trip and back down in class, she makes the shortlist under James Doyle. However, we narrowly prefer an each-way punt.
The one to catch our eye is the lightly raced Stop The Cavalry from the Ralph Beckett operation. Beckett is no stranger to a smart filly and looks to have another likely sort on his hands with this daughter of Lope De Vega. Two from three in her career to date – sole defeat easily excused due to heavy ground – she quickened up in the style of a talented performer last time out Chester. This is a steep rise in class, but we suspect we haven’t seen the best of her yet, and she can hit the frame.
Recommended Bet: Stop The Cavalry each way at 11/1 with BetVictor
3:00 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes, 5f, Group 3
Sixteen go to post in this speed-fest for the juveniles. With many firms offering four places, our first thought was to side with a possible improver at a big price. There are no shortage of options in that regard, with the likes of Soldier’s Heart, Binadham, and, particularly, the once-raced Kings Call all boasting bags of potential.
We wouldn’t put anyone off an each-way punt on Kings Call at 25/1 with bet365, but our top selection is current market leader Aesterius.
Hailing from the yard of the excellent Archie Watson and going in the colours of Wathnan Racing, this one has won two of three starts to date and impressed when landing the Listed Dragon Stakes at Chester last time. His sole defeat came when drawn on the wrong side of the track and trying to keep up with subsequent Group 2 scorer Whistlejacket in the Norfolk Stakes - to go down by just 1½l was a fine effort in those circumstances. With the trailblazing Celandine and Mr Lightside in the lineup, this smooth traveller can travel just off the pace before showing his class inside the final furlong.
Recommended Bet: Aesterius to win at 5/2 with bet365
3:45 Qatar Sussex Stakes, 1m, Group 1
Just the six go to post in the feature, but this still rates to be an enthralling clash. In Rosallion and Notable Speech, we have the winners of the Irish and English 2000 Guineas, whilst Henry Longfellow scored in Group 1 company as a juvenile and hails from the yard of six-time Sussex Stakes winner Aidan O’Brien. Unsurprisingly, this trio of three-year-olds dominate the market.
Of those available at longer odds, Maljoom possibly shouldn’t be as big as 20/1, following his third-placed effort in the Queen Anne Stakes - when overcoming a slow start and trouble in running to finish just about best of all. He was, nevertheless, five lengths adrift at the line and will need a career best to prevail. With only two places to play for, we will concentrate on the trio at the head of the market.
Notable Speech’s win in the 2000 Guineas suggested great things to come, but his blowout in the St. James’s Palace Stakes leaves him with questions to answer. Henry Longfellow would have made more appeal had O’Brien left one of his two potential pacemakers in the field, but, in their absence, it’s hard to get away from Rosallion. Despite conceding first run to Henry Longfellow and enduring a troubled passage at Ascot, he still mowed him down inside the final furlong. With only six in the lineup, the Richard Hannon star should enjoy a smoother passage here and can use his potent finishing burst to winning effect.
Recommended Bet: Rosallion to win at 10/11 with Betfred
4:45 British Stallion Studs EBF Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes, 5f, Class 2
Our final selection comes in a sprint event for the juvenile fillies, won by subsequent Group winners Flora Of Bermuda and The Platinum Queen in the past two seasons.
The Simon & Ed Crisford-trained Coto De Caza is the warm favourite to add her name to that list on the back of a 5l romp at Beverley last time. She was visually impressive that day, but that win did come on soft ground, which she seems unlikely to get here.
Before that Beverley win, Coto De Caza debuted in a good to firm contest over this trip at Lingfield. Nosing into the lead inside the furlong that day, she was overhauled close home by Baileys Jubilation, who showed a fine effort to get back up, having been headed by rivals on either side.
Interestingly, Baileys Jubilation is entered here. More interestingly, she is available at around seven times the price of market leader Coto De Caza. The Crisford runner is, admittedly, open to more improvement on only her third career start, but back on a quick surface, that price discrepancy is too big to ignore.
Recommended Bet: Baileys Jubilation each way at 14/1 with Boylesports
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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