Qatar Goodwood Festival Day 2 Preview

The Glorious Goodwood Festival is now up and running and the second afternoon is headlined by the Group 1 Sussex Stakes as top miler Field Of Gold bids to stamp his authority on the mile division.

They race at Goodwood from 13:20-16:55 on Wednesday, with the feature race due off at 15:05. Our racing expert has picked out three horses to follow on day two at Glorious Goodwood.

Tip 1: Lady Iman – Molecomb Stakes (14:30) @ 6/4

The minimum five furlongs awaits the eight contenders in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes and Irish raider LADY IMAN is the market leader for Ger Lyons. The daughter of Starman has won three of her four starts already and was second-best in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh over six furlongs on her most recent start.

She was odds-on for that race but Ballydoyle filly Beautify simply appeared to outstay her inside the final furlong and that Wootton Bassett filly has a Group 1 entry over 7f at the Irish Champions Weekend in September. Lady Iman’s 5f Listed success at the Curragh in May has been franked by runner-up True Love securing a brace of Group 2 wins since. The speedy five furlongs at Goodwood should be right up her alley and with Colin Keane serving a suspension this week, Lyons has managed to bag an able replacement in Ryan Moore.

Tip 2: Field Of Gold – Sussex Stakes (15:05) @ 2/5

Seven leading milers are set to battle here and FIELD OF GOLD can confirm his status as not only the best miler in the three-year-old ranks, but perhaps the best in training. The Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman was an unlucky loser in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, ceding first run to Ruling Court and finishing best of all in second. He won the Irish Guineas soon after and was imperious at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes despite travelling wider than ideal off the final turn.

Henri Matisse had no answer there, finishing 3½ lengths behind in second and even the presence of possible pacemaker Serengeti makes it hard to see a turnaround now. Docklands and Rosallion were first and second in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot over this trip in June but the prospect of giving 8lb to the three-year-olds looks daunting.

Tip 3: Our Cody – Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (16:20) @ 10/1

Speed is the name of the game here and Richard Hughes’ filly OUR CODY certainly doesn’t lack for it. She bolted up in a Windsor maiden over this trip in June having previously run a good second behind Venetian Lace at Chelmsford over 6f on her second start. That winner is above average and has twice run well since in Listed/Group 2 company. Our Cody was impressive with her early speed at Windsor and that bodes well now with Oisin Murphy taking over in the saddle at a track where he excels and early pace can be so important.

Zelaina sets the standard for Karl Burke but she can be keen and won’t get things her own way with Our Cody set to go forward. This Kodi Bear filly has solid each-way claims in a race where the favourite dominates the betting.