Past Master features among four selection for Simon Holt as he looks ahead to the action at Goodwood on Saturday.
Recommended bets, Saturday August 29
1pt win Seattle Rock in 1.50 Goodwood at 10/1
1pt win Oh This Is Us in 2.25 Goodwood at 8/1
1pt win Past Master in 4.10 Goodwood at 8/1
1pt win Badenscoth in 4.45 Goodwood at 7/1
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Despite a fair weather forecast, ground conditions are bound to remain testing at Goodwood on Saturday when it could be worth taking a chance with SEATTLE ROCK at a decent price (10/1 General) in the Ladbrokes Prestige Stakes for two-year-old fillies.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock is a little quirky but may find conditions very much in her favour here and has every chance on official ratings with both Happy Romance and Isabella Giles who both step up in trip.
Seattle Rock, whose dam Snoqualmie Girl was a strong stayer (and acted in the soft), has no such questions to answer after her third in the Chesham Stakes (7f soft) at Royal Ascot and third in Newmarket's Sweet Solera Stakes more recently, and those efforts set a reasonably high target for first-time-out winners Pomelo and Prado who are open to improvement but face a completely different test here.
The selection's rider David Probert also holds chances aboard PAST MASTER (8/1 General) in the Ladbrokes Get Your Daily Odds Boost Handicap.
Henry Candy's gelding has won on both his previous visits to Goodwood (including in this race last year) and ran as if he needed the run at Haydock earlier in the month when finishing fifth to Leoncavallo on his first outing since last November.
Past Master's finishing position does not reflect how well he performed as he looked a threat to the well-handicapped, stout-staying winner two furlongs out before lack of peak fitness appeared to tell.
With that run under his belt, a bold bid is anticipated back on a course which clearly suits him well and up just 3lb following his victory 12 months ago.
In the Brian Chattaway Celebrating 50 Years at Ladbrokes Handicap, OH THIS IS US (8/1 General) looks a value bet providing he enjoys better luck than when ninth in this race last year.
On that occasion, Richard Hannon's fine stable servant got badly boxed in on the inside but he should get a clearer passage from stall eight this time off a slightly lower mark.
Oh This Is Us hasn't managed to win so far this season but I just wonder if some cut in the ground over this seven furlongs trip (he stays a mile well) might provide the answer nowadays even though he finished only seventh behind his re-opposing stable-companion Magical Wish at Doncaster last time.
Not beaten far there in a race where the field went very slowly in the early stages, he has been dropped another 2lb since and anything close to a repeat of his best past performances (once reaching a rating of 113) could see him go close under Pat Dobbs.
Later on, the well-handicapped BADENSCOTH (7/1 Hills) can build on his recent third at Newbury in the Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap.
The Dean Ivory-trained six-year-old moved well in that race fought out by Surrey Pride and HMS President and runs now off a mark 6lb lower than when beaten just over a length into fourth on soft ground at York (1m2f) last October.
Earlier on last year, Badenscoth won four times including twice over this nine furlong trip at Wolverhampton before adding ten-furlong victories at Chelmsford and Sandown (soft).
Not disgraced at Newbury and Kempton (over a too-far mile-and-a-half) on his first two starts this term prior to that latest effort, it will be no surprise if the selection goes very close here with trip and ground in his favour - and signs that a return to winning form is imminent.
Posted at 1535 BST on 28/08/20
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