Glorious Goodwood

Goodwood Cup 2010

racing news/

Opinion Poll On Course for Artemis Goodwood Cup
23/07/11

Thursday, July 28, is Ladies Day at Glorious Goodwood and two Group Two races take place over contrasting extremes of distances - the five-furlong £85,000 Audi King George Stakes (2.45pm) and the £100,000 Artemis Goodwood Cup (3.15pm) over two miles.

Opinion Poll
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The Artemis Goodwood Cup is the third leg of the Long Distance category of the QIPCO British Champions Series and has attracted 23 entries. Godolphin’s Opinion Poll beat all bar Fame And Glory when going down by three lengths in the Group One Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on June 16 and trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni is keen to send the five-year-old Halling horse to Goodwood.

Al Zarooni commented: “Opinion Poll is likely to head to Goodwood for the Artemis Goodwood Cup and I think that he has improved since Royal Ascot.

“His last piece of work was very pleasing and he has run well at Goodwood before, so the course should be no problem. He ran very well in the Gold Cup but the step back to two miles will suit him.

“Opinion Poll keeps galloping all the way to the line and we have been very unlucky not to win with him so far this year. He always runs a good race and he deserves to win a big contest.”

Other notable entries for the Artemis Goodwood Cup include Blue Bajan, who captured the Group Two Henry II Stakes at Sandown in May, the progressive Chiberta King, a Listed winner at Sandown on his latest appearance, and Harris Tweed, who ran an excellent race to finish second in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot but will be tackling two miles for the first time.

Manighar also contested the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, finishing two places behind Opinion Poll in fourth, while Swingkeel landed the marathon Queen Alexandra Stakes over two miles, five furlongs at Royal Ascot for Arundel-based trainer and Goodwood director John Dunlop.

Irish interest could come from the David Wachman-trained Mount Athos while the two three-year-olds entered are both trained by Mark Johnston - the progressive Colour Vision, who comfortably landed two handicaps before finishing second to Keys in Ascot’s Brown Jack Handicap today and Namibian, who proved his stamina by winning the Group Three Queen’s Vase over two miles at Royal Ascot.

Artemis Goodwood Cup (British Champions' Series)
£100000.00 added, 3yo plus, 2m, Class 1
23 runners

The Audi King George Stakes has attracted 17 entries including the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Kingsgate Native, who won the race two years ago, and Captain Dunne, who defied top-weight when landing the competitive Dash Handicap over five furlongs at Epsom on Derby Day. Beyond Desire and Humidor took second and third respectively in a Group Three contest over five furlongs at Sandown Park on July 2, while Masamah and Noble Storm were both Listed winners last time out.

The third Pattern race on the card is the £50,000 Group Three I-Shares Fillies’ Stakes (3.45pm) over a mile and six furlongs which has a total of 15 entries. Sir Henry Cecil could be represented by the exciting Wild Coco, who got the better of Meeznah when winning the 12-furlong Listed Aphrodite Stakes by half a length at Newmarket on July 16.

Goodwood welcomes Betfred as a new sponsor in 2011 and the firm backs the opening £45,000 Betfred The Bonus King Handicap (2.15pm) over just short of 10 furlongs which has attracted 27 three-year-olds. Betfred also backs the concluding betfred.com Handicap (5.25pm) over a mile and three furlongs which has received an entry of 38.

Also on the card are the Tatler Handicap (4.55pm, 31 entries) and the EBF Medicean New Ham Fillies’ Maiden (4.20pm, 31 entries).

At 1.55pm the Celebrity Ladies’ Race, sponsored by Audi, will take place over six furlongs. Run in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, the celebrities will include Radio One DJ Sara Cox, top model Edie Campbell, polo player Clare Milford Haven, Channel 4 presenter Emma Spencer, Tatler editor Kate Reardon, racing driver Annette Mason, wife of Pink Floyd drummer Nick, and dressage champion Laura Bectolsheimer. The ladies will be turned out in special racing silks created by famous fashion designers Amanda Wakeley, Jasmine Guinness and the Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite, Issa.

The £60,000 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes, which takes place over seven furlongs on Wednesday, July 27, has attracted an entry of 13 after it was re-opened until 11.00am today. Trainer Richard Hannon is responsible for no less than seven of the entries including Chandlery, who was runner-up to the John Quinn-trained Red Duke in the Group Two Superlative Stakes at Newmarket on July 9. Hannon could also be represented by impressive Newmarket winners Harbour Watch and Rougemont, as well as Minal, Pearl Charm, Red Seventy and Rockinante.

GOING

The going at Goodwood remains Good to Soft, Good in places.

Seamus Buckley, Clerk of the Course at Goodwood, reported today: “There has been no change in the going over the past 24 hours. We had a few showers late on Thursday afternoon but it has been a sunny, dry morning.

“We are forecast be dry up until Tuesday and I don’t think that we will be far off having good ground for the start of the meeting.”

Glorious Goodwood happens over five days, from Tuesday, July 26 to Saturday, July 30 inclusive.