Wednesdays Racing at Goodwood – Micky Biggs preview

Running at Goodwood 3.10 the highlight of day two,  the Sussex stakes and the much anticipated clash between Frankel and Canford Cliffs, I think it is not a hard race to summarise, Frankel had his swan song in the Guineas and I am not sure he will ever repeat that amazing run, but tactically I think the horse will be a sitting duck for Canford Cliffs, if Frankel tries to make the running Canford Cliffs will sit on his tail and get a nice tow and that will help him settle and if Frankel tries to beat him for a turn off foot he will also find that very difficult so head on the chopping block, I can’t see Frankel winning, another negative for Frankel is that he has never travelled farther than Ascot before and even missing out on some juicy races abroad which he could so easily have turned into a procession so you have to wonder if he is not the best of travellers, much as I would love him to win for Sir Henry. 3.45 its Mark Johnston’s  turn to have plethora of runners, he has four in the race and interestingly Silvestre de Silva is on what looks to be the outsider of them, top weight Sadler’s Risk looks to have it all to do to make the running with top weight, Halifax looks out classed even with Fallon on, the going looks too fast for Bridle Path and Whiplash Willie both of whom have shown much better form on softer going and come up wanting once the going has come up quick, have narrowed this down to just four runners that I think have a chance of winning. 4.20 not a betting race for me with too many unknowns but there has been a big whisper for Sunday Times from a yard that don’t often get it wrong when the money is down and the runners with form look nothing exceptional. 4.55 a wide open race as you would expect, Golden Desert a course and distance winner is way out of form but it is interesting that Jamie Spencer takes the ride, it’s also interesting that Rulesn’regulations who has a good record here and won this race last year ran yesterday in first time blinkers, ran too freely and then runs again today with the headgear still on back over the shorter trip, he usually needs time between his races but could today be the plan…..Shavansky is ultra-consistent, fully exposed and has no secrets from the handicap so surely one of the “ unexposed “ types will beat him, Smarty Socks has been running over further of late presumably to offset his habit of starting slowly but it has not worked so he is back to his best trip where starting slowly often costs him the race, Space Station is another who likes these tracks but he runs too many poor races for me to want to select here, Shamandar has blinkers on for the first time today to try and rekindle some form but not me to guess if that will happen at these prices, if Common Touch comes here in the form that saw him win his second race at York he would win this, but that form is 10lbs above anything he has shown before or since so best watched, the ex-Nigel Tinkler  trained Webbow is consistent and has Mr Fallon riding but usually finds one too good, I think the race lies between two horses but I’m saving that info for my members. 5.30 Abdicate won a soft race last time and doesn’t look good enough, Valencha is consistent but needs to find more at this level, Miss Diagnosis found some better form last time but will she be able to confirm it, the two I like and find hard to split are Apache Glory who has won his last two well, and Totheendoftheeearth with the in form Silvestre de Sousa riding who I think might just edge it.   [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Micky Biggs[/caption]]]>