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Captain's Blog - Thursday 2nd August

Olympic Glory did the business for us yesterday here on the blog at 11/4. A win did not look likely three furlongs from home, but he finished with a flourish under a cool ride from Richard Hughes, eventually winning cosily. He was not the star attraction though, that tag belonged to Frankel who won the Sussex Stakes without turning a hair. The foundation of his win was a couple of sub 11 second furlongs in the middle of the race which saw off his rivals and enabled him to gear down in the closing stages winning comfortably. Next stop York and a 10 furlong test, let's hope he has a few more credible rivals than he did yesterday.

The use of sectional times at Goodwood this week have been welcome addition, but a analysis of them must take into consideration the configuration of the track. For example to say they went too hard up front in the early stages of sprint races is a fair enough statement when you look at 10 second furlongs, but remember that they do run sharply downhill soon after the 5 and 6 furlong starts and this must be factored into any sectional analysis. On a flat track sectionals are invaluable, on an undulating one they are a vital tool of analysis, but they must be used in conjunction with an understanding of track configuration. I bet you can sprint faster over 200 meters when going downhill as opposed to on a level surface, so can a horse.

My selection today is Master of War in the Richmond Stakes at 2.45pm. He won quite nicely at Newbury last time and looks to be another progressive sort from the Hannon factory. I am not convinced this is the most competitive Richmond we have ever seen and at 3/1 you are going to get a real shout for your money, especially with the in form Richard Hughes in the saddle.

Master of War will not be my only bet today as I cannot believe that South Africa are trading at around 9/4 to beat England in the second test. This price is disrespectful of just how superior the South Africans were in the first test and unless there is a lot of rain I would be confident of trading out of my position in this game for a lovely green screen.

Time for me to get to the office in time for the Stewards Cup draw which you can see live on at Midday.

All the best.

Today's Selection

2.45 Goodwood - Master of War (3/1 various firms)