RACING TRADER BILL ESDAILE’S TOP TIPS FROM GOODWOOD
THE highlight of today’s card at Goodwood is the Group 2 Artemis Goodwood Cup (3.25pm) where Aidan O’Brien will be hoping AGE OF AQUARIUS can step into Yeats’ rather large hoofprints. His star stayer won this race in 2008 and 2006, and the new kid on the block should have a great chance of adding to his stable’s fine record.
Age Of Aquarius was only beaten a neck by compatriot Rite Of Passage in the Ascot Gold Cup and he should relish this drop back to 2 miles. John Dunlop’s Tactic is a danger, but I’m not sure he has the scope of his market rival, while Kite Wood has to carry a penalty and Purple Moon was 6 lengths behind O’Brien’s runner at Ascot. Illustrious Blue loves this course and has an each-way squeak at around 10/1.
In today’s opener Sir Michael Stoute should be back in the winner’s enclosure with LONDON STRIPE. He was only just beaten by Dandino in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot and the winner franked the form with a cracking effort in the Gordon Stakes on Tuesday. This is the type of colt Stoute excels with and he could well be a Group horse in the making.
The draw in tomorrow’s Totesport Mile is crucial and a high berth is a massive advantage. I was therefore delighted to see Ralph Beckett’s OASIS DANCER handed stall 19 and he is a great each-way bet at 7/1 with William Hill. He has won two of his last three races and was second in his maiden at Goodwood last season to Derby winner Workforce.
Finally, don’t forget to have a few quid on the Richard Hannon-trained and Sir Alex Ferguson-owned PAUSANIAS in Saturday’s maiden at 4.15pm. We’ve seen no signs of the Hannon juggernaut stopping at Goodwood and this impressive two-year-old did an electric piece of work alongside Zebedee last week.
POINTERS…
LONDON STRIPE 2.10pm Goodwood (today)
AGE OF AQUARIUS 3.25pm Goodwood (today)
OASIS DANCER 3.25pm Goodwood (Friday)
PAUSANIAS 4.15pm Goodwood (Saturday)