Goodwood betting: Markaz set to upset big two in Lennox Stakes
Experiencing the Qatar Goodwood Festival for the first time is infectious, and even more so if you come away with a good winner.
On Tuesday, first-season trainer Owen Burrows makes his debut at the five-day festival and I fancy his MARKAZ to get things off to a flyer in the Lennox Stakes (3.10pm).
The four-year-old grey was last seen finishing strongly to land his first victory of the season over six furlongs at Newcastle and he’s got form over seven too.
He won the Criterion before finishing second to the high-class Limato as a three-year-old, so this step up in trip, especially given the quick ground, doesn’t put me off.
There’s 9/1 available in places and that looks a great each-way bet.
Dutch Connection and Home Of The Brave are joint-favourites at around the 9/4 mark.
Fast ground and seven furlongs is ideal for the former. He’s a Royal Ascot winner and has scored over this course and distance, but hasn’t won in over a year.
As for Home Of The Brave, Hugo Palmer has his team in red-hot form and this son of Starspangledbanner is unbeaten in both starts this campaign over this distance.
He didn't quite see out the mile in last season's 2000 Guineas, nor did he have the zip for the drop back to six in the Commonwealth Cup.
This is his ideal trip and he will take plenty of passing, but 9/4 is too short.
In the opening handicap (2.00pm) I’m drawn to Godolphin’s SECOND WAVE.
He’s won half of his 10 starts and looks a horse heading in the right direction.
His second to Sir Isaac Newton in the Wolferton, who ran creditably to finish fourth in the King George on Saturday, is a standout piece of form.
A 4lb rise in the weights shouldn’t hold him back and 8/1 looks big.
When it comes to handicaps at Glorious Goodwood there isn’t a better man to follow than Mark Johnston.
He has won four of the last 10 runnings and none of his quartet can be ruled out.
But it’s WATERSMEET, available at 20/1, that I’m most interested in.
He failed to make any impression in the Old Newton Cup but I’m happy to put that down to bad ground and he still looks well-handicapped.
Away from the track, the L’Ormarins Best Dressed Competition takes place on Friday with a top prize of a dream trip to Cape Town to see the L'Ormarins Queen’s Plate race meeting in January.
Pointers
Second Wave e/w, 2.00pm Goodwood
Watersmeet e/w, 2.00pm Goodwood
Markaz e/w, 3.10pm Goodwood