Saturday sees the end of Glorious Goodwood. I've looked at the other meetings, but nothing stood out as an each-way selection for Saturday's Lucky 15.
Today's Lucky 15 bet is being advised as an each-way Lucky 15.
Artistic Star 16/1 (4pl) – Goodwood 1.55
French Duke was the first horse I saw and thought about backing. He was a selection of mine at Royal Ascot, and he shaped like he needed the run. Having course form is a big thing for this track, and he has that, but he is very slim in the market. The way that Ralph Beckett's yard has been getting winners during Glorious Goodwood, Artistic Star caught my attention. If he can bounce back to the form of a couple of years ago, he is a key player.
As a three-year-old, he was competing in Class 1 races and not running badly in them. Since then, his form has nosedived, and he has been running in handicaps this year. Last time out was a much better performance than what we've seen in recent memory. Granted, last time out, it was a four-runner race, but he shaped well and showed he can still win races. Today's race is much tougher, but he has shown a liking to Goodwood in the past, and a mark of 99 makes him dangerous.
Sueno 6/1 (3pl) – Goodwood 2.30
The one to beat in this race is Term Of Endearment. She won this race last year and has shown she still has the ability to win this again. In my opinion, she is good odds, and couldn't put anyone off from backing her. Sueno was behind the horse I've just mentioned at York, but I think she is still progressing, and she handles Goodwood.
She ran at Goodwood on her first run of the season. She was boxed in when they turned for home, and despite travelling well, she couldn't get a clear run. By the time she was in the clear, those ahead of her had already stolen a few lengths, and the race was always going to be tough.
After that, she went to York, but was beaten by today's favourite and Scenic. She travelled nicely into that race again, became outpaced, then stuck on towards the line. Last time out, she finished second in a Listed race, putting up a career best. The winner was a three-year-old and was receiving chunks of weight. I think the winner looks like a very smart horse going forward, so I rate that form.
On form, she has it all to prove against Term Of Endearment, but she is getting better with every run this year, and any more improvement will be enough to see her hit the frame.
Jordan Electrics 28/1 (6pl) – Goodwood 3.05
The Stewards' Cup is one of the best sprint handicaps of the season, but also one of the toughest from a betting point of view. As a result, you can get some cracking odds.
It would be a bit of a surprise if the nine-year-old Jordan Electrics were to win this, but he improved significantly last year. I'm not sure why we've not seen him run too often this year, but he returned a week ago with a below-par effort. That was his first run in nearly a year, so was entitled to need the run. His wins have come late in the season, so maybe Jim Goldie has tried to keep him fresh for this time of year and looked after him due to his age.
Jim doesn't send too many runners this far south anymore, so it's a huge positive that they are chancing their arm at this race. He stays 6f well on slightly stiffer tracks, so the strong pace on this track should not be an issue. He has plenty of pace drawn around him, so the likes of Hammer The Hammer should be able to bring him into contention if he is good enough.
Andesite 18/1 (5pl) – Goodwood 3.45
Things haven't gone how I expected them to for Andesite after he won on debut last year. He recorded an RPR of 92 at York in a Class 2 novice race, beating some useful types, but he hasn't managed to win since.
He has been tried in better company since that win, and maybe that is why he has struggled. This year, he has been running okay, but last time out was his best performance by far. He finished fifth of nine at Chester, but nothing went to plan. He was drawn quite low, but didn't break particularly well and was keen for the majority of the race. When they swung for home, he was widest of all, but made up a lot of ground. Given how hard he pulled, it was impressive to see him finish his race the way he did.
Considering he handled Chester, I think Goodwood should be fine for him. If he can settle better, he is a much better player in this than the odds suggest. The extra furlong looks ideal for him at this moment in his career.
Special talkSPORT BET offer for Goodwood festival: Get up to £35 in free bets
18+ New Customers. Opt in and bet up to £35 on Horse Racing (odds 2/1+) within 7 days. If your first bet loses get your initial stake back, up to £35 in Free Bets for any sports. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Scroll down for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Get the talkSPORT BET offer >>
GambleAware