A Proper Summer's Day at the Races

My old dad had a saying: "If you can't enjoy a day at Goodwood in July, you can't enjoy anything." He was right, of course — but I'd gently extend that to the full Folkestone card that accompanies it, because today we have eight races, three of them at Group level, and a prize fund that would make your eyes water. This is the kind of Tuesday that reminds you why you fell in love with racing in the first place.

The going is reported as Good, Good to Firm in places — a reading of 39 on the GoingStick — which is about as fair and honest a surface as you'll get at this time of year. It'll suit the quick, athletic types rather than the heavy-ground plodders, and on a day like today, with the sun on their backs and the ground riding true, the horses who like to travel through their races will be at a premium. Keep that in mind as we work through the Folkestone racecard.

The Feature Race: Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (15:35, Group 1, £500k)

Right then. Let's not mess about. The centrepiece of the whole afternoon is the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes over two miles, worth half a million pounds and carrying Group 1 status. Eight runners, and what a field it is.

The headline act is Scandinavia (Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien), rated 123 and carrying the [C,D] badge that tells you she — or he, depending on which Ballydoyle inmate this turns out to be — has already won over course and distance. That combination of top rating, course form, and Ryan Moore in the saddle is about as compelling as it gets. On Good to Firm ground, O'Brien's stayers tend to travel beautifully, and with Moore able to dictate from the front or sit in behind, Scandinavia is the one they all have to beat.

But don't write off Trawlerman (William Buick, John & Thady Gosden). He's eight years old now, rated 122, and he also holds that [C,D] qualification. Trawlerman is one of those horses that the Gosden yard has always held in the highest regard, and on quick ground over two miles, there are few more reliable performers in training. Buick will know exactly how to ride this race, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's the one quickening up inside the final furlong when Scandinavia's supporters are starting to sweat.

Amiloc (Hector Crouch, Ralph Beckett) is the interesting each-way proposition at a likely bigger price. Rated 115, course winner [C], and Beckett is a trainer who knows how to get a stayer ready for a big occasion. On ground as fair as this, he shouldn't be ignored.

The Lennox Stakes: A Seven-Furlong Treat (15:00, Group 2, £200k)

Just before the Cup, we get the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes, and this is a race I've always had a soft spot for. Seven furlongs, fast ground, quality milers stepping back in trip — it's a proper test.

Lake Forest (Cieren Fallon, William Haggas) is the top-rated runner in the field at 119 and holds the [D] flag for course form. Haggas has been in outstanding form this season and Lake Forest looks tailor-made for these conditions. Fallon has been riding with real confidence lately, and I'd expect a bold show here.

Marvelman (P.J. McDonald, Andrew Balding) is rated 115 and also a course winner [D]. Balding's horses tend to love a sound surface, and McDonald is as good a partner as you'll find for a horse who needs to be produced with a late run. He's very much in the mix.

Qirat (Colin Keane, Ralph Beckett) carries the [C,D] double — course and distance winner — and at 113, represents excellent each-way value if the market drifts. Beckett again. The man is everywhere today and his horses are clearly in fine fettle.

Ones to Watch: The Handicaps and Supporting Cast

The opening race, the Coral Chesterfield Cup (13:50, Class 2, £120k), is a proper betting race over just shy of a mile and a quarter. Eighteen runners makes it a puzzle, but a few names jump out.

Liberty Lane tops the weights at 109 and carries both the [C] and [D] markers — she's won here over course and distance before. Clifford Lee takes the ride for K.R. Burke, a combination that has been clicking nicely this summer. On Good to Firm ground, she should be right in the firing line.

Yabher (Tom Marquand, William Haggas) is another [C,D] qualifier rated 102. Tom Marquand is one of the classiest young riders in the country right now, and Haggas horses on fast ground are invariably well-prepared. This could be the banker of the day in the handicap division.

In the same race, keep an eye on Torito for the Gosden yard, ridden by Benoit de la Sayette. He's a [D] qualifier at 104, and de la Sayette has been riding with tremendous confidence through the summer months.

The Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap (16:10, Class 2, £75k) over five furlongs is the big sprint of the day with 24 runners — a cavalry charge that'll be over in a flash. Jasour (P.J. McDonald, Clive Cox) heads the weights at 104 and is a course winner [D]. Cox rarely sends his sprinters to the track without them being ready, and McDonald will have him in the right place from the off.

In the two-year-old maiden at 16:45, Severn Councils (Ryan Moore, Richard Hughes) is one to note — Moore doesn't take two-year-old rides lightly, and Hughes is a trainer who knows how to have a juvenile ready on debut. Savage Mariner (Oisin Murphy, Hugo Palmer) is another interesting newcomer. Palmer's juveniles often improve sharply from their first run, but Murphy doesn't ride losers he thinks are going to get beaten.

The fillies' handicap at 17:20 is worth a look for Just Call Me Angel (Robert Havlin, Ed Dunlop), top-rated at 96 on her handicap mark. Dunlop is a trainer who targets these summer fillies' races with precision. And in the closing 6f fillies' handicap, Cinque Verde (George Wood, Tony Carroll) is a six-year-old course winner [D] rated 95 — the old girl knows her way around here and shouldn't be underestimated.

Best Bets Summary

  • NAP — Scandinavia (15:35): Top-rated, course and distance winner, Ryan Moore. Ticks every box.
  • NEXT BEST — Yabher (13:50): Haggas, Marquand, course and distance form. Looks the one to beat in the Chesterfield Cup.
  • EACH-WAY — Trawlerman (15:35): Eight years old but still rated 122. Buick and Gosden won't have him here for a day out.
  • INTEREST — Lake Forest (15:00): Top-rated in the Lennox at 119. Haggas horses on fast ground. Hard to leave out.
  • LONGSHOT — Amiloc (15:35): Course winner, Beckett in form, likely to be bigger in the market than he deserves.

It's a wonderful afternoon of racing. Pour yourself something cold, get the Folkestone racecard in front of you, and enjoy every minute of it. Days like this are what the summer is for. Good luck to all — and as my dad would've said, back them each-way just in case.