Stewards Cup - Goodwood 3.35 - SP2A | Speculate 2 Accumulate

Stewards Cup - Goodwood 3.35

There are several big-field 6 furlong handicaps throughout the flat season and, historically, there are none bigger than this one in terms of prestige (possibly The Wokingham or Ayr Gold Cup may be on a par?).

This year, we have a maximum field of 28 runners to try to dissect and, despite the reduced prize money, we have a very similar quality of horse lining up as in recent years.

A lot can be made about the draw in races like this, and the consolation race earlier on the card may give us some clues as to whether there is any bias or not, but, at this point, it may be worth concentrating on where the likely main pace is going to come from.

One of the prime contenders to set the early pace is ATALANTA’S BOY, who will break from stall 5. He is a horse who has won 4 of his 7 starts over this trip and those wins include 2 from both of his visits to this track so far – albeit one was gained in the stewards room. He has been in good heart for his local trainer since racing’s resumption but this is a step up in grade for him and he is on a career-high mark.

Drawn next door, in stall 4, is another horse who likes to race prominently and that is Mark Johnston’s 3 year-old MERAAS. The classic generation have had had a good record in this race in the last 5 years and he is one of just 2 representatives of that age group in here. He won very comfortably last time when taking The Scottish version of The Stewards Cup up at Hamilton and has gone up 6lbs for that win. Prior to that he had disappointed when well-fancied at Newmarket but it could be that he did not enjoy the soft ground on that occasion and conditions will be quite the opposite here. That defeat at Newmarket is the only blip in his, albeit, short career so far as he has finished in the first 2 on all of his other 4 runs and the fact that he has won at Hamilton offers hope that he will be ok on this downhill track. As he is one of the more likely to be up front cutting out the pace, it will need his jockey, Joe Fanning, to get the fractions right but he is one of the better pilots at doing that and rides this course well. Mark Johnston loves to have winners at this meeting but this is one race he is yet to taste victory in.

One of the more likely pace-setters towards the higher numbers is ALJADY who comes from stall 18. Previously with Richard Fahey, this 5 year-old has started life well under his new trainer Robert Cowell, winning 2 of his 3 races since joining the yard. They key could well be dropping back to 6 furlongs as his overall career record masks the fact that, over that distance, he has won 5 times and never been out of the first 3 in 8 starts. He has gone up 5lbs for his last win, which makes life tougher here, and, on the form of their meeting at Haydock in June, he will find it hard to reverse form with both BARBILL and KIMIFIVE.

After a decent juvenile season, BARBILL rather lost his way as a 3 year-old but, having been gelded over the winter, he returned with a win in that race at Haydock in June. He, too, has gone up 5lbs for that win so now finds himself back on the kind of mark he has struggled off in the past. He has run some decent races in Group 3 and listed class but the jury is still out, in my opinion, as to whether his return to form last month was a ‘one-off’ or the start of something better.

KIMIFIVE, who finished 2nd at Haydock, has been racing mostly over 7 furlongs since finishing 10th in this contest last year. Indeed, the race at Haydock is his only attempt over this trip in those 12 months. His record over 6 furlongs overall, however, is decent with him making the top 4 in 11 of his 15 starts – winning twice. His hold-up style does leave him a bit of a hostage to fortune sometimes and this was the case both in this race last year, when he didn’t get a clear run until it was too late, and on his last run in The Bunbury Cup at Newmarket when, again, catching the eye when running on late when finally in the clear. He is now 8lbs better off with BARBILL for just a 1l defeat at Haydock, with Cieren Fallon claiming 3lbs, and only 4lbs higher than when winning at this track last May. He will need the gaps to be there for him if he is to challenge late on but being drawn on the wing, in stall 1, he may get the necessary room to make his move at the right time.

Topping the weights here is an old favourite of this service SUMMERGHAND. He is very consistent and has run well in a number of these competitive handicaps, including finishing as runner-up in The Wokingham this year and as a fast-finishing 4th in this race last year. He is 8lbs higher this year, and on a tough handicap mark, and he is another that usually needs some luck in running giving his style of racing. It will be no surprise, however, to see him in the shake-up for the places once more here in first-time cheekpieces.

Next in at the weights is GULLIVAR who, like the top-weight, is also trained by David O’Meara. He is another regular in contests of this type and it is hard to believe he is still only a 6 year-old as he seems to have been around forever. He probably needed the run first time back after lockdown in early June, at Newmarket, but has improved in each of his two subsequent runs. First of all, he finished the race off strongly, when a tip for this service, in The Wokingham at Ascot (placing 4th) and, then, stepped up on that again last time at The Curragh when just headed on the line. He is now 5lbs higher than at Ascot but his claiming jockey does negate that. He is drawn near to the likely pace on the low side of the draw and, although this track may be on the sharp side for him, is another who could be running on into the shake-up for the places here.

Local trainer Amanda Perrett runs two in this race. The first is TINTO who is the mount of brother-in-law Jim Crowley. The 4 year-old is generally a consistent performer although he has been a little hit-and-miss so far this season. He started off with a good win, over this trip, at Newmarket where he got the better of 4 of today’s rivals and, then, ran well in a Group 3 at Sandown where, despite losing a shoe, he finished 3rd giving 5lbs to the now 113-rated winner who has since franked the form by winning again. In between, he ran down the field in The Wokingham and, last time out, beat only one horse home in another Group 3 at Newbury. He is 5lbs higher than when successful at Newmarket but he does have a number of factors in his favour here. Firstly, he seems best on sharp tracks, and has winning form at courses such as Brighton and Bath, and, whilst he did win in soft ground at Ascot last Autumn, he is better on fast ground so the quickening conditions will be to his liking also. In addition, the booking of Jim Crowley is a positive for me. He has a good record when teaming up with the trainer and was on board for both of the horse’s good performances so far this season. He should get a nice tow into the race, being drawn not far, from the likely pace and can run well here at decent odds.

The other Perrett inmate running here is OPEN WIDE. He was a tip for this service in last year’s contest when he finished 2nd , at odds of 14/1, off a mark that is 3lbs higher than he runs off here. Although one would imagine that Jim Crowley would have had the choice, Pat Dobbs is on board and he was also in the plate last year. He is another horse whose run style means that he has to have some luck in running and has often suffered a troubled passage in races. His placing last year was the only time he has made the frame at this venue, from 6 starts, and he arrives here in much poorer form that 12 months ago. He is, however, back down to his last winning mark and the drying ground will suit.

HEY JONESY is looking to become the first horse to complete the Wokingham-Stewards Cup double since 1990 and arrives here 5lbs higher for that Ascot win. He is a horse with undoubted ability but that was his first win since he was a 2 year-old and he rather ‘stole’ the race from the front. The first-time blinkers were said to have had a beneficial effect at Ascot and they are retained here.

The current favourite at the time of writing is NAHAARR who represents William Haggas. He is a trainer not really reknown for handicap sprinters but he has won this race twice in the past 12 years. This 4 year-old looks a very smart prospect and has never finished out of the first 4 in any of his 8 career starts (winning 5 of them). He won his first 4 starts last year and gained his latest win last time out at Newbury. He has been raised 7lbs for that win but does not look to have stopped progressing so may still be well-handicapped. His trainer remains in flying form, having had 4 winners here already this week, and the horse is 3 from 4 over this trip. He is the one they all have to beat but he has been well found in the market and is not currently at a price I usually like to play at in big competitive handicaps like this. However, he could the proverbial “group horse in a handicap” and I would not put anybody off having a win saver to cover off the suggested stakes on the each-way selections.

NAHAARR beat WATAN last time out, by 2 lengths, and Richard Hannon’s charge now finds himself 7lbs better off with the winner. That was his first run for over a year and he is bound to strip much fitter for that run here. The horse is a course-and-distance winner, having won here on debut two years ago and that reversal at Newbury was his first defeat over 6 furlongs, from 3 tries at the trip. That was also his first foray into handicap company, having kept some very good company both in his debut season and during his 3 year-old campaign. He holds a good each-way chance here but his odds have halved during the course of Friday and he is no longer the value bet he once looked like being.

Also in that Newbury race, finishing 4th, was SILENT ECHO. He didn’t get the clearest of runs that day and is now 8lbs better off with the winner and 1lb better off with the runner-up. He was 8th in this race a couple of years ago and ran well to finish 5th in The Wokingham this year. He is now 1lb lower than for both of those runs and is entitled to be in the mix again. Quick ground is no issue but he has never won in this class before.

When appearing in these big handicaps, DANZENO is always worth a second glance. He may be 9 years old now but he still shows plenty of zest in his races. He ran a solid race in The Wokingham and, then, just under two weeks ago, ran an excellent race to finish 3rd in a 5 furlong handicap at York. The form of the race was given a small boost earlier this week when the horse who finished 2nd there repeated that placing in a contest here. He runs off the same mark as that he ran off on his last win, just over a year ago, and he handles quick ground. Looks sure to give his running once more.

This is obviously a very open looking race, and my very long short-list may not even contain the eventual winner, but with so many firms offering enhanced place terms, it is worth chancing the arm with one at decent odds who, if on a going day, can give a good run for our money with conditions looking in his favour. That horse is TINTO who looks to be well drawn near to the likely pace, will enjoy underfoot conditions, and should be suited by this sharp track. The jockey booking also looks to be significant.

For a second full each-way selection, I am going to go with one of the 3 year-olds in here, MERAAS, in the hope that he can repeat his display at Hamilton and take advantage of the weight allowance he gets for his age. He could still have lots of progression in him and can round off another decent week here for the Johnston stable.

For a tracker selection, I was tempted by WATAN, initially, but his price has now shrunk somewhat so, despite my heart wanting SUMMERGHAND to run another big race, I was left with ALJADY, for sprint King Robert Cowell, and KIMIFIVE, who both contested the race won by BARBILL at Haydock. In the end, KIMIFIVE just gets the vote as he is 8lbs better off and should be suited by the quick ground. He will need some luck in running but I’m hoping his wide draw will allow him the chance to find the necessary space to make his move.

Cover these bets with a win ‘saver’ on NAHAARR if you wish.

TIPS - TINTO / MERAAS + TRACKER - Kimifive - (Win Saver - Nahaarr)