Thursday 29th July 2021

Glorious Goodwood 2021

Author: Jordan Yates

It’s Day 3 of Glorious Goodwood and once again it all kicks off with a Class 2 Handicap at 1:50. Contested over a trip of a mile and two furlongs it’s another typically competitive affair of which I’ve taken a tentative chance on King Frankel for the Mark Johnston yard. He ran an absolute shocker last time at Newmarket, but he did get upset in the stalls prior to that assignment and before that he ran some solid races in decent contests. He also has a considerable amount of form on ground with ease in it.

It’s the Richmond Stakes up next at 2:25 which is a Group 2 event over six furlongs. I’ve gone with more heart than head in this and sided with one of my favourite horses in training which is Ebro River, for Hugo Palmer and James Doyle. He’s a bit of a nutter if truth be told but has a fair amount of talent in his locker, he’s ran a couple of solid races in defeat the last twice but ran his best race when winning the Listed National Stakes at Sandown on soft going, he was mightily impressive that day having hung across the entire track and still routing the opposition. A repeat of that level of run should see him thereabouts. There are some potentially really smart horses in this though.

Moving onto the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at 3:00, a race that’s contested over a mile and four furlongs. It’s all about Third Realm here for me for the Roger Varian yard. Set to be ridden by Andrea Atzeni he hasn’t been seen since finishing fifth in the Derby. His notable form is his victory in the Derby Trial though, where he got the better of the brilliant Adayar which makes him a huge player here. His main danger looks to come in the form of Aidan O’Brien’s Wordsworth who’s put together a string of fine efforts within top company.

The feature of the afternoon on Day 3 is the Nassau Stakes at 3:35. A Group 1 event over a mile and two furlongs for Fillies & Mares and I’ve sided with Joan Of Arc here for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. I see she’s attracted a fair bit of support this morning having been around third favourite last night, which I couldn’t really understand. For me, she has the best form on offer having won a Group 1 the last day after finishing a should second in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas. The ground shouldn’t be an issue whatever it is and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a bold showing here from the Ballydoyle three-year-old.