Gm, Equinauts

Day 3 of Glorious Goodwood.

When we thought day 1 had it all, day 2 simply said ‘hold my fucking beer’.

A day of racing no fan will ever forget, and one those who attended might never experience again. Not for a while, anyway.

Day 3 has big boots to fill. It’s another big day so make sure you remember to play the Tote. Of all the racing we’ve had this week, Tote has paid out bigger than the SP for over half the racing.

Plus, the Tote are guaranteeing a massive £200,000 every day... minimum!

Click here: PLAY THE TOTE 

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

💫SUSSEX BOWS TO BOW ECHO

It’s hard to put into words what BOW ECHO did yesterday. Even his trainer who sees him every day, George Boughey, said he "was lost for words" in the post-race interview as if all the superlatives in the Oxford Dictionary weren’t enough.

We feel the best way to describe how good his performance was is to describe the race. It was gross. We posted this yesterday:

For the first two furlongs, it was as if there were two races. OPERA BALLO sprinted to the lead on two legs, Buick unable to do much other than try to hold on and let him settle in his own time, which he eventually did as DORSET and QIRAT motored past. There was daylight between those three and the pack main, with BOW ECHO in the mix, sandwiched between NEVER SO BRAVE and PUERTO RICO, GSTAAD's arse practically in his face.

That picture didn't change as they swung around the bend. BOW ECHO was absolutely smothered, with equine tonnage on every side. Soumillon aboard PUERTO RICO was playing dirty and did everything he could to keep Billy boxed in. But he didn't have the horse for the job. By the four-furlong pole, PUERTO RICO was cooked by the pace (a joy to watch) and the door finally opened for Billy to get out.

And then the cinema.

The moment BOW ECHO saw daylight, he erupted into a turn of foot that can only be described as devastating. He absolutely booted both ZAVATERI and TEN BOB TONY to the side, and locked on to OPERA BALLO and GSTAAD.

He ate up the ground like a jet on a runway, devouring the deficit with every stride. As if he was turning planet Earth. Within a matter of seconds, what had looked an impossible task simply became inevitable. From a nasty pocket with nowhere to go to the front of the Sussex Stakes, it was a performance that will go down in the history books as one of the greatest.

Enjoy:

⚖️(TOO?) HONEST CHAMP

Tom Marquand: "He changed leads a couple of times and wobbled around a bit. It was a little bit of greenness but didn't feel like it was the difference between winning and losing. It's a tricky track but he did a really good job and found the line well.

"Oisin came on my outside to challenge. For the first half furlong it was me following Oisin and then for three or four strides where my lad wanted to step out and was a little bit green. My lad has won by a head and a stride after the line and back level he's gone on by a neck."

Oisin Murphy: "My horse is running straight and Tom's horse is a bit more babyish. We never made contact. I didn't know Tom's horse had shifted until quite close to the line. I can't for any certainty say I would have won if Tom's horse hadn't shifted out."

That’s the transcript from yesterday's Stewards' Room, which involved our bet HATTEEN and the winner INFRAAD.

We haven’t got the overhead angle to show you, but use the horse in the grey silks as a reference for how much the pair move across the track:

When watching the race in real time, and not realising just how much they moved laterally, we couldn’t believe Oisin didn’t go past. It makes sense now. Had they gone straight, we feel HATTEEN would have edged it on the line – and only just.

Oisin didn’t put up any fight in the Stewards' Room, which many deemed noble. The champion jockey was simply being honest.

But was he right?

We’re not so sure. Why? Well, we have absolutely no doubt that over any further distance, INFRAAD would have been the better horse. But the race wasn’t any further, and the winning post was coming fast. We know better than most that punters don’t get paid for backing the horse that's in front after the line, and we feel Oisin perhaps didn’t fully consider that.

Without bias (we’d like to think we’re well trained in giving views independent of our financial interest), we think it’s very surprising HATTEEN wasn’t awarded the race under the current rules.

If there were no rules, then fair play – that’s race riding.

🌱GOING STANDSIDE

Goodwood's going remains good to firm, good in places for Thursday, with clerk of the course Ed Arkell hopeful the surface can be maintained for the rest of the meeting thanks to cooler temperatures.

The track was watered overnight, they applied 5mm to the home straight and 3.5mm to the bends, while the cutaway has been moved to 3½ furlongs from home.

Arkell said trainers and jockeys have praised the surface after the opening two days, and early readings suggest there's little difference across the straight… that means one thing. Find the winning high numbers in the sprints.

BIG RACE PREVIEWS

14.25 6F GROUP 2 RICHMOND STAKES

FLANN SUNNA could hardly have been more impressive on debut and backed it up with another dominant win at Ascot, pulling well clear of the field:

Jack Mitchell is jocked off, Buick comes in, and ownership has moved from Rabbah to Sheikh Mo – they’re taking him seriously. The trainer won this race with VANDEEK.

CUT A DASH won well at York on debut and backed it up with a solid fourth at Royal Ascot (behind ADAAY OF SCARLETT). That’s strong form and he should continue to improve for a yard that has enjoyed success at this year’s meeting and does well with this type.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND ran well on debut, finishing not far behind ABRAHAM LINCOLN and HAFFNER, who have both placed in Group company since. He won on his second start. A big, strong NNN colt who has to be taken seriously.

NIGHT IN VEGAS represents the minnows but is shaping into a serious colt. He won his first two starts (we backed him on debut) well before running a big race to finish fifth in the Coventry (behind CUT A DASH and ADAAY OF SCARLETT). His experience will help him today.

ADAAY OF SCARLETT ran a huge race in the Coventry at Royal Ascot and backed that up with a second in the Superlative Stakes. He’s looking a little exposed now, but he’s clearly a good horse and has Oisin back in the saddle today.

You can never write off a tenacious HAVANA GREY colt in these big races, and BIG CIGAR looks an improver. He won well last time out at York and the second has won since. He needs to find more, but he’s going the right way.

WHERE LOVE LIVES could run well at a price. A Listed winner on his second start, beating Coventry runner-up ADAAY OF SCARLETT, before being poorly drawn in the Norfolk. He has changed yards since and the step up to 6f may suit.

Verdict: We’re hoping to see a good horse today, and that could be FLANN SUNNA, who has been super impressive on his two starts to date. He’s got a plum draw given they’re going to come down the stand side. On the other side of the stalls is WHERE LOVE LIVES, a Listed winner with strong form. You can forgive his last run, as his low draw gave him little chance, and is an ew chance today.

15.00 1M 4F GROUP 3 GORDON STAKES

If there is one horse today who desperately needs fast ground, it’s ENCELADUS for Joseph O’Brien. He can hardly pick his feet up and cuts the daisies as he travels. Had today been on soft ground he’d be lay of the week. He won the King George V Stakes at RA, keeping AL AZD at bay behind. AL AZD has since bolted up in a big handicap (Group company for him next). That was only his second run of the season and there should be more to come.

BAY OF BRILLIANCE was sent to the German Derby on the basis he’d be banker in the soft ground over there. He bombed and that’s hard to forgive today. If he does have a big preference for ease underfoot, he certainly isn’t getting that today.

GERYON is untried at this trip and there is absolutely nothing in his pedigree which suggests he’s going to enjoy it. to be fair to him, he was motoring through the line on his last star over 9f, but this is much further.

SHAIHAAN is in calmer waters. He needs fast and should fair much better today in this company. The step up in trip should suit.

SAHARA KING, MAGNETUDE and VENETIAN LACE should all be bigger. They’re handicappers at best. That said, VENETIAN LACE is awesome on her day but you just don’t know which girl is going to turn up on the day. The trip is a query for her too.

Verdict: We think this goes to one of the O’Brien boys. ENCELADUS for Joseph and SHAIHAAN for Donnacha. Two darts there for the Placepot.

15.35 1M 2F GROUP 1 NASSAU STAKES

Aidan O’Brien sends DIAMOND NECKLACE for the yard’s Nassau hat-trick. We smashed into WHIRL last year in the heavy ground, boy that was a good bet. DN is unbeaten and a 3x Group 1 winner. She is undoubtedly the one the bookies want to down.

FRIENDLY SOUL is a proper weapon on her day. We backed her at Haydock when she fell into a sink hole ffs. She then ran well at RA in the Duke Of Cambridge. She ran out of track so the return to 10f will see her at her best. She goes on any ground.

SEE THE FIRE is a lovely mare but not quite a Group 1 horse. That said, this could prove good placing as the race isn’t that deep and she could fill a place.

BOTAGOZ and MOMENTS OF JOY have no chance.

Verdict: We think this is a two horse race. FRIENDLY SOUL has to give weight but in all honesty, for a big horse like her it won’t make a difference. Her RA form is very good and she ran out of track. She’s a big galloper and can escape the front and kick clear.

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