Glorious Goodwood Festival 2020 Tips - Day Four

Four Group races are on offer on day four at Glorious Goodwood, as the fastest horse in the world Battaash eyes a fourth King George.

Charlie Hills' stable star is at prohibitive odds to land the spoils, but you'd be hard pushed to come up with a rival to beat him.

Battaash aims to win at Goodwood again before his next target in the Nunthorpe at York.

The thrilling action continued throughout day three, with Fancy Blue winning the Group 1 Nassau Stakes for Donnacha O'Brien, giving him a second success at the top level.

Harry Reynolds and Ben Wignall are back once more to find some winners, on what is set to be a scorching day on the Sussex downs.

13.10 - TDN Australia Handicap

Harry Reynolds – Having made his debut in a hot maiden at Newmarket last season featuring the likes of Kinross and Vatican City, AL QAQAA finally got his head in front when bolting up by eight lengths on his fourth start. I expect there to be more improvement to come from him, and he can strike again for Jim Crowley and William Haggas.

Ben Wignall – AL QAQAA has been running in some hot-looking novice contests recently, and finally got off the mark at the fourth time of asking at Newmarket last month. This colt was very pricey at $1.2 million so needs to start paying some of that back soon in prize money, and this handicap would be a decent place to start.

13.45 - Saint Clair Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3)

HR – Although this is One Master’s optimum trip of seven furlongs, I’ll take her on with ALTHIQA at the prices. She’s got to reverse the form with Under The Stars from Haydock, but my selection has only had four starts and has won three of them, including a Listed race in France last time out. In receipt of weight from most of the field, I can’t see her being far away.

BW – ONE MASTER is a seven furlong specialist and she gets that trip here, whilst also stepping down significantly in class. She should theoretically be too good for this field, but there’s every chance she could be vulnerable to an improver. That could come in the form of Althiqa, who won in France last time out, but I’ll stick with the past Group 1 winner.

One Master is a seven furlong specialist taking an almighty drop in class.

14.15 - Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3)

HR – It will be a big surprise if KHALOOSY isn’t able to back up that incredible performance from the Britannia at Royal Ascot, scooting clear to win by over four lengths. He’s been raised a massive 17lbs for that win, but he’s weighted to go in again here and Roger Varian could have a seriously talented performer on his hands.

BW – Khaloosy won the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot impressively and looked like the proverbial ‘group horse in a handicap’, however I was so taken with MY OBERON’s victory at York recently – when it was backed into odds-on like defeat was out of the question - that I will stick with William Haggas’s colt. Tilsit was impressive at Newcastle last time out, winning by 19 lengths, but he’s a complete unknown quantity on the turf.

14.45 - Unibet Golden Mile Handicap

HR – MONTATHAM managed to turn the form around from the Royal Hunt Cup with Dark Vision at Sandown when we last saw him, and since then his rival has scored in Listed company quite convincingly. The form is very solid, and he’s a very consistent performer. It’s surprising that he remains in handicap company off a mark of 104, but I expect him to step up to pattern class after another win here.

BW – The biggest odds being 16/1 for this race suggests that this is an incredibly open contest. A horse on the upward curve is SIR BUSKER, who was a comfortable winner of the Silver Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot. He then came 2nd to Motakhayyel in the Bunbury Cup a few weeks ago, and he now steps back up to a mile. He’s on a career-high handicap mark but William Knight’s charge may not have stopped improving.

15.15 - King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2)

HR – Quite simply, BATTAASH is practically invincible at this speedy track. He’s won this race for the last three years, and it would be an almighty shock if he failed to make it four despite giving the field an awful lot of weight. Liberty Beach can bring up the forecast.

BW – This is a one-horse race for me and probably many others. Like Stradivarius and the Goodwood Cup earlier in the week, BATTAASH is going for four straight King George Qatar Stakes wins and it would be a major shock if he doesn’t oblige. On his day he’s the best sprinter in the world and Goodwood seems to suit him to a tee.

15.45 - L'Ormarins Queen's Plate Glorious Stakes (Group 3)

HR – Far from the most exciting race in the world in all honesty. You can pick holes with most of them, but COMMUNIQUE has Desert Encounter and Alounak covered on form having finished in front of them at Newmarket last time out. If you’re unsure at Glorious Goodwood, it normally pays to go with a Mark Johnston runner.

BW – The way horses have been coming off the pace to win races this week, Thundering Blue would make huge appeal if this was last year. But he hasn’t ran since September 2019 and it looks like he may need this run to blow the cobwebs off. Therefore I’ll go for ALOUNAK, who has been competing in higher grades than this and may get the better of Communique this time around.

16.20 - New Unibet Instant Roulette Nursery Handicap

HR – Having finished ahead of comfortable Richmond Stakes winner Supremacy on his second start, ZAMAANI has comfortably the best form in here, and could well prove to be much better than a mark of 89 in time. Perotto and Thank You Next are also interesting for two in-form yards.

BW – THANK YOU NEXT was behind Royal Ascot third Caroline Dale first time out, and then somehow got back up to win against the odds in her next start at Kempton. She showed some engine that evening and I’d fancy her to repeat that feat here.

16.55 - British European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes

HR – Sarsaparilla has been very expensive to follow in her four starts, and I’ll take her on with VENTURA DIAMOND. She was behind Miss Jingles at Sandown just over a week ago, and there looked to be any amount of improvement to come.

BW – Enoughisgoodenough makes strong appeal on debut as a half-sister to Angel’s Hideaway, but SARSAPARILLA’s experience may prove vital here. She may not have won in her four starts in this company, but it looks like she has bumped into some nice ones along the way. This could finally be her day to get in the winners enclosure.

Selections

Harry Reynolds

13.10 Al Qaqaa 2/1

13.45 Althiqa 15/2

14.15 Khaloosy 8/11

14.45 Montatham 4/1

15.15 Battaash 1/3

15.45 Communique 2/1

16.20 Zamaani 2/1

16.55 Ventura Diamond 4/1

Ben Wignall

13.10 Al Qaqaa 2/1

13.45 One Master 13/8

14.15 My Oberon 3/1

14.45 Sir Busker 6/1

15.15 Battaash 1/3

15.45 Alounak 4/1

16.20 Thank You Next 6/1

16.55 Sarsaparilla 5/2