“A Garden Party with Horse Racing”

It is that time of the year, Glorious Goodwood when anyone who is anyone will be out in their summer finery. It was King Edward VII who described the Goodwood Summer meeting as a marvellous garden party with some racing tacked on. The forecasted showers should not detract from what looks like an excellent first day card.

Yesterday I was decrying the poor level of the cards but it was definitely a punters benefit day at Yarmouth with 5 of the 7 favourites coming home. The Galway Festival kicked off last night with many experts suggesting it would be a Dermot Weld benefit night. Sure enough he kicked off with the 5/1 winner Force of Habit in the opener but that was his only success. However, I am sure there will be plenty more Weld winners before the end of the Festival.

Looking at the Goodwood card I could not help notice that one of the runners in the first last ran at my favourite track Market Rasen.
It cannot have happened many times before that a horse runs at this Lincolnshire track directly before going on to the Glorious Goodwood meeting. That is exactly what Australia Day the probable favourite in the opening race has done. Ten days ago the horse won the Summer Hurdle Handicap at that course and today reverts to the flat for the Betfair Apps for I Phone stakes over 10 furlongs. I wish him well and may well risk a shilling on him.

From past experience I have always found it best to avoid betting at the big meetings. They produce some of the very best racing but as a betting medium I find I get a serious case of “seconditis”. Bearing this in mind I would suggest that my best bet at Goodwood for today is Emerging Artist in the final race. He was very impressive in seeing off Con Artist at Newbury eleven days ago.