IT was brilliant to get a double on the board at Goodwood on Wednesday.
We really fancied The Goat on his handicap debut — I couldn’t believe he went off such a big price!
The Goat wins the Coral Handicap by a country mile
A barnstorming performance in testing conditions#ITVRacing | @Goodwood_Races | @AndrewBalding2 pic.twitter.com/fGRM4YCszC
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 2, 2023
Then Flora Of Bermuda was lightning in her race. Oisin gave her a good ride from a bad draw and she looks smart.
I hope a few of you managed to get on after I sang his praises here yesterday.
But the rain that has fallen is far from ideal for most of our runners today, especially the very talented ALSAKIB (1.50).
He’s a horse who, from the moment he arrived, has impressed us in everything he has done.
He’s made nice progress this year, breaking his maiden at Chester and bravely winning a valuable race at Windsor last time out.
Both of those wins came on quick ground, so easier conditions are an unknown for him.
I think he is better than his handicap mark and I have long thought he is a Group race-calibre horse. The ground is the one worry.
We also run GOLDSBOROUGH in the same handicap, and he will absolutely love the mud.
He bolted up over a mile at Goodwood in May and he was a little unlucky at Windsor last time out having been hampered when trying to make ground.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ran a big race at long odds. I wouldn’t put anyone off him.
BITS AND BOBS (4.10) is entered up in the two-year-old handicap, but the ground is a major concern.
We will see how conditions are this morning and make a decision on whether or not he is going to run, and we’ll do the same with ESTATE (5.55) and our debutant IMPERIAL EXPRESS (5.20).
GLENFINNAN (4.45) ran well on his return to action last time and I think he is on a good mark but, again, I can’t be certain he will handle the ground.
We’ll soon find out!
