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Goodwood and Galway Racing Tips Today | Timeform experts' predictions for Thursday
Find out who the Timeform experts fancy at Goodwood and Galway on Thursday and which horses stands out on ratings and Flags.
Best bets from the Timeform experts
Mark Milligan: Palace Green - 13:50 Goodwood
Richard Hughes’ Palace Green was off the mark in novice company at Kempton in April before running third in a handicap at York next time, but it’s his most recent start at Royal Ascot that makes him of most interest here. That came in the Golden Gates Handicap, where he was unlucky not to finish a fair bit closer, having taken a strong grip early doors. He was still pulling when caught in a pocket briefly three furlongs before encountering far worse trouble in the straight, only getting in the clear late on. He finished with plenty of running left that day and shaped very much as if there’s a big summer handicap in him, with this race looking an ideal target.
Graeme North: The Strikin Viking - 14:25 Goodwood
Wathnan Racing purchased The Strikin Viking after his excellent Railway Stakes second and, 14lb clear on Timeform timefigures and 8lb clear on Timeform form ratings, the Richmond looks his for the taking. So strongly did he travel for a long way (last off the bridle) at the Curragh when second to Henri Matisse that he looked a natural for the remaining top two-year-old contests over a sharp six furlongs and you can’t get a sharper six than Goodwood. Fast ground will be perfect and, so long as a stable change hasn’t affected him, he should win this with a bit to spare.
David Johnson: Stay Alert – 15:35 Goodwood
I’m keen to side against the pair at the head of the market who are around 2/1-on coupled, given they are opposed by a couple of classic winners in Sparkling Plenty and Elmalka and other horses with form at the top level. Stay Alert looks overpriced with her most recent run easily forgiven on softish ground given how good she looked when winning the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket in May. She’s got good form at the highest level last year, runner-up in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh despite being badly hampered by the winner. She’s likely to be held up, but this should be run at a sound pace with Opera Singer likely to go from the front and Doha, in the same silks as Sparkling Plenty, likely to go forward and keep her honest.
Kieran Clark: Defence Missile – 16:10 Goodwood
A competitive nursery, though the draw could be a key pointer with low numbers usually favoured and one that makes appeal from stall 2 is Defence Missile. He’s made a promising start to his career, placed either side of finding the Chesham coming too soon in his development and his latest third at Salisbury can be marked up under an aggressive ride. That form has substance and he should be able to take a lead in this big-field contest, possessing the pedigree to improve and also meeting debut conqueror Mr Chaplin on 8 lb better terms.
Billy Nash: Vidisha – 17:40 Galway
Johnny Murtagh struck in a big-field handicap at Goodwood on Tuesday with Take Heart and has a good chance of doing the same, albeit in a lower-grade contest, courtesy of Vidisha in the penultimate contest at Galway. A maiden winner for Jean-Claude Rouget in France, she was off for more than a year prior to her reappearance so it’s hardly surprising that she has taken a couple of runs to get up to speed but showed that her turn isn’t far away when denied on the nod in an apprentice handicap at Down Royal last time. She stays two miles, so a stiff mile and a half around here should be right up her street and Rory Mulligan, who was also on board last time, is able to claim his full seven-pound allowance here which negates the small rise she picked up for her last run.
Ratings and Flags
The Ratings Choice
The Strikin Viking - 14:25 Goodwood
The Strikin Viking created an excellent impression when a two-and-three-quarter-length winner of a six-furlong maiden at York on debut and he then showed even better form in defeat when finding only another exciting prospect too strong in the Group 2 Railway Stakes at the Curragh.
The Strikin Viking again impressed with how strongly he moved through the race and he travelled best before striking on over a furlong out. He was unable to fend off the strong challenge of Henri Matisse who kept on to lead half a furlong out, but he still posted a useful effort that has been bettered by only the winner and Ancient Truth among the two-year-old colts this season.
The Strikin Viking is 8 lb clear on Timeform's ratings for the Richmond Stakes and stands out as the one to beat on his first start for Wathnan Racing and Hamad Al Jehani (previously trained by Kevin Ryan).
The Timeform Flag
Ashdale Bob - 14:45 Galway
Flags: Jockey Uplift, Top-Rated
Ashdale Bob's first stint over fences comprised only three starts towards the back-end of 2021 but a dominant success on his return to chasing at Kilbeggan in June suggests that connections should have persevered for longer in this sphere.
Ashdale Bob hasn't won over hurdles since April 2021, but he has run a number of big races in defeat and has shown smart form, most notably when twice finishing runner-up in Grade 1 company.
He didn't have to run up to the pick of his form to snap the losing sequence at Kilbeggan, but he created a good impression in winning a decent beginners' chase for the time of year and was ultimately well on top, pulling three and a quarter lengths clear of Thecompanysergeant who won at this meeting on Tuesday.
Even that form identifies Ashdale Bob as the one to beat in this Grade 3, while his hurdles form offers encouragement that he can find extra if required. Irish champion jumps jockey Jack Kennedy takes over in the saddle from conditional rider Conor Smithers.
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