Horse racing tips: Timeform highlights on day one of Goodwood

The ratings banker

Space Blues - 15:00 Goodwood

Space Blues hasn’t been seen on a racecourse since finishing down the field in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, but he has gone well fresh in the past and his overall profile suggests he won’t be long in bouncing back from that disappointing effort. After all, consistency was the hallmark of his performances in Europe last summer when he reeled off a four-timer in listed/pattern company, notably winning this race before making the breakthrough at the top level in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

That high-class display in France, where he quickened smartly to beat Hello Youmzain by three quarters of a length, is comfortably the best form on offer in this line-up, leaving him 3 lb clear of Khuzaam on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings in a race where he escapes a Group 1 penalty. Space Blues showed he retains most of his ability when recording a fifth successive win in the Turf Sprint at the Saudi Cup meeting in February, too, so he looks sure to take plenty of beating if proving his subsequent defeat at Meydan to be just a blip.

The big improver

Scattering - 16:45 Goodwood

Scattering shaped encouragingly under a considerate ride when third on his debut at Newcastle last month, running to a fair level at the first time of asking.

He showed signs of inexperience at the start, hesitating briefly when the stalls opened so that he raced with only one behind him through the first part of the contest. He was relegated to last of all when the tempo lifted over two furlongs out, but Cieren Fallon still hadn’t asked his mount for an effort and the way Scattering stayed on once shaken up was undoubtedly the most encouraging aspect of his performance. He made good headway throughout the final furlong despite Fallon resorting to no more than hands-and-heels riding, ultimately passing the post just a length and a quarter behind the winner and still appearing to be full of running.

That form sets a solid standard for the newcomers in this line-up to meet, while the small ‘p’ attached to his Timeform rating denotes that he is likely to improve with the run under her belt. This looks a good opportunity for him to get off the mark at the second attempt, representing the William Haggas yard which continues in good heart (77% of horses running to form).

The Timeform Flag

Stradivarius - 15:35 Goodwood

(Horse For Course, Hot Trainer, Timeform Top Rated)

Like William Haggas, John and Thady Gosden have the ‘Hot Trainer’ Flag to denote that their string is in rude health at present (83% of horses running to form). The yard will be hoping to continue in the same vein with three runners at Goodwood on Tuesday, including Stradivarius, who is set to take centre stage as he seeks a remarkable fifth success in the Goodwood Cup.

Stradivarius is already the most successful horse in the race’s history courtesy of four wins in a row since 2017. His first three triumphs formed part of a 10-race winning sequence, while last year’s victory – by a length from Nayef Road in ready fashion – followed hot on the heels of a career-best effort to win his third Gold Cup by 10 lengths at Royal Ascot the previous month.

Admittedly, Stradivarius has rather lost his aura of invincibility since winning this race 12 months ago, suffering defeat on four of his five last starts, including when only fourth in the latest edition of the Gold Cup. There were a couple of plausible excuses at Royal Ascot, though, as he met significant trouble at a crucial stage of the race, giving him little chance of getting involved to the extent that Frankie Dettori seemed keen to look after him in the closing stages.

The Gold Cup winner Subjectivist is a notable absentee here, which leaves Stradivarius as still the one to beat as he attempts to emulate Further Flight, the only horse to have previously won five successive renewals of a pattern race in Britain. Stradivarius shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the rain-softened ground, either, and he has the ‘Horse For Course’ Flag to underline just how well suited he is to the demands of this race.

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