Another really good day yesterday with our 20/1 shot Rainbow Six running second after being heavily backed. He traded 1.50 in running and for a moment looked like winning but fair play to Belinsky who is a big beast of a horse and pulled out more. Both should win soon. We made 8pts profit and are over 50pts up for the week.
3.10 Goodwood Soul Station 3pts win @ 11/2 (Generally, guaranteed) WON
Represents Roger Charlton whose stable have been running into form and who does particularly well with this type of three year old. Soul Station ran really well on his reappearance last time out in a strong Sandown handicap which traditionally throws up winners even though this years winner has since disappointed. The selection was drawn wide and was free early in the contest, also suffering a wide trip/ lack of cover and interference in the last furlong, but to his credit battled on to finish fourth. His jockey wasn't overly hard on him at any point in the race and he was allowed to come home under hands and heels riding. He posted an RPR of 88 that day off a mark of 82, and I'm surprised the handicapper has not reacted - he runs off 82 again here and if he improves for the seasonal debut should go close to winning this.
4.55 Goodwood Epsom Salts 2pts win @ 11/1 (Bet 365, VC Bet, guaranteed) - 2nd
Decent bit of pace on in this contest and Pat Phelan's Epsom Salts looks a value bet at 11/1 to cause a minor shock by winning under decent 7lb claimer Richard Rowe. I really like Phelan's stable, his horses seem to regularly outperform market expectations and he does particularly well with staying handicappers. Epsom Salts is an aptly named Epsom specialist but should also appreciate Goodwood's undulations. His first two runs this season will have put an edge on him and he was staying on really well last time (albeit from an impossible position) when he was mullered by another horse at Windsor. That was arguably a stronger contest and the handicapper has dropped him a pound for that run. Rowe takes an additional 7lb off. If they go a good pace up front, I think the selection can stay on late on to get involved in the finish.
5.30 Goodwood Avrilo 6pts win @ 5/1 (Generally, guaranteed) WON
My bet of the day. I had considered an each-way maximum, but the price wasn't quite right. I priced up Avrilo as a 7/2 shot last night and I feel she might be backed in on course. She looks to be a slowly improving sprinter and I have suspicions that she might be around 10lb ahead of her current mark, even though she is 0/20 so far. She has finished in the frame eight times and second five times in twenty starts, usually at Bath, like Goodwood an undulating track. A 16-start three year old career means she is an experienced handicapper now, but as a four year old she is still open to improvement this season and there is reason to believe she will begin to show that improvement today. On her seasonal debut, she made plenty of ground from a wide draw (stall 16) at Bath and ran a strong looking race at the head of affairs, doing best of those to race prominently and getting done in the last half furlong by two closers. She had real work to do to get across and I marked up her performance because of that. Clearly someone agreed because she was sent off a well backed favourite next time out at Bath, but was totally chopped off in her run at a crucial stage, and allowed to come home under hands and heels only - still only beaten three lengths. She still looked full of running and it looked to me as if she would have relished the uphill finish and won that race. She is entered here for a race her trainer has won twice in the last three years and I actually think the smaller field will suit her, given her prominent racing style. She should relish the stiff Goodwood finish and Ashley Morgan, the decent apprentice attached to Mark Tompkin's stable, makes the trip to Goodwood for the one ride.
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