JOHN DUNLOP and Pat Eddery, one of horse racing's longest and most enduring partnerships, team up yet again in an attempt to take the day's feature event at Goodwood, the Listed Lupe Stakes with Kootenay (2.30).
Kootenay began the season in a blaze of glory by winning the valuable Masaka Stakes at Kempton, but things then went badly wrong when she flopped over a mile in the Italian 1,000 Guineas.
Maybe Dunlop's filly didn't take kindly to having to travel all the way over to Rome, however there'll be no excuses on that score this afternoon because Dunlop's base at Arundel is just a few miles down the road from the Sussex track.
On the evidence of pedigree Kootenay ought to stay ten furlongs since she's a half-sister to a mile-and-a-three-quarter scorer.
And looking at it from another angle, there's no better judge of pace than Eddery, whose brilliant tactical awareness has always been a major weapon in his considerable armoury.
Ian Balding, successful in the Showcase Handicap at the course yesterday with Passing Glance, has an outstanding opportunity to claim the contest for the second day running via Vanderlin (4.15).
Vanderlin, a magnificent-looking colt, absolutely bolted up in his maiden at Pontefract prior to performing really well when chasing home a Willie Musson hot-pot at Lingfield last time out over six furlongs.
Balding's three-year-old now steps up another furlong and in the words of his trainer, " should be well-suited by the extra distance."
A high draw is essential over a mile at Goodwood boding well for the prospects of Swynford Pleasure (5.20) coming out of stall 22.
The six-year-old mare, trained at Malton by James Hetherton, shaped as if her turn was near by staying on strongly at Hamilton last Saturday.
Worcester stage an excellent summer jumping card which due to the rain-softened has attracted some fairly big fields.
The Novices' Handicap Hurdle is particularly hard to solve with 22 runners to post and in the circumstances it might prove best to play safe by backing Stoney Path (2.45) each way.
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