Ante-post / Mark Powell-Bevan / 25 August 2011 /

The Betfair Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Saturday has attracted eleven entries, including Richard Hannon's Lennox Stakes winner Strong Suit, but Timeform's Mark Powell-Bevan reckons it could be worth opposing the market leader....

We've been here before. Richard Hannon has Strong Suit entered for the feature race at the weekend, only last time it was the Hungerford at Newbury and now it's the Betfair Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

Strong Suit was Timeform's ante-post selection for the Hungerford but missed the race, though as it turned out it mattered little, as Marco Botti's Excelebration (who will reportedly go for the Moulin next) was such an impressive winner that it's hard to think that he would have shaken him up, anyway - Strong Suit's stable-companion Dubawi Gold finished over seven lengths behind in fourth, shaping as if on the way back to the sort of form that saw him finish runner-up in the English and Irish 2000 Guineas.

Strong Suit, it turns out, was in the process of being sold, and he will run on Saturday in the colours of Qatar Bloodstock. And he will come into the race as favourite, having got his career very much back on track this year following a breathing operation, winning two seven-furlong contests, namely the Jersey at Royal Ascot and the Lennox at Goodwood (for which he picks up a penalty), impressive when beating Red Jazz in the latter.

The hallmark of Strong Suit's wins have been the way he travels, arguably looking the type who could drop back to six furlongs, so it's really a question of whether you think he's as good at a mile and whether you want to back him at around [3.2], especially in the knowledge that connections still have the seven-furlong Prix de la Foret in the back of their mind, suggesting they have their own reservations over his stamina. The Timeform comment for Strong Suit says 'likely to prove best at 6f/7f', but he has already shown form on a par with his best efforts in Britain when a close third behind Mutual Trust and Zoffany in the Prix Jean Prat over a mile at Chantilly and, if he's going to win a race at this level at this trip, then Goodwood is as good a course as any to attempt it.

Strong Suit could face a double-pronged Irish challenge, with Dermot Weld's Famous Name and Aidan O'Brien's Zoffany both holding entries.

Famous Name has done the majority of his racing (and all of his winning) in Ireland, and though he's yet to race in Britain, he has been to France, Canada and, most recently, Germany, finishing runner-up in a Group 1 at Munich last time. A strong-traveller who's usually held up, Famous Name has won four of his six starts this year and has already shown he's as effective at a mile as over further, successful over the trip twice in the spring, so he hold pretty obvious claims if making the trip over from Ireland.

Zoffany, on the other hand, has yet to get his head in front this year, but he does have some form in defeat that reads very well in the context of this race, three quarters of a length second to Frankel (and ahead of Excelebration) in the St James's Palace and just a head behind Mutual Trust in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly (Strong Suit third). He clearly didn't give his running in the Maurice de Gheest last time and O'Brien's horses didn't cover themselves in glory at York, but he's a bigger price than he ought to be as a result and a couple of winners at Cork on Monday showed there are no major problems at Ballydoyle.

Last year's winner, Poet's Voice, is in line to make a belated comeback, which would add another dimension to the race. The free-goer really got his act together at Goodwood last year when bolting up by four and a half lengths from Main Aim, and went on to record a narrow victory over Rip Van Winkle in the Group 1 QEII at Ascot on his next outing.

Poet's Voice pulled too hard over a mile and a quarter when disappointing in the Dubai World Cup when last seen in March, and while Godolphin's Racing Manager Simon Crisford has suggested he is on course to reappear at Goodwood, he just couldn't be recommended from an ante-post perspective with doubts hanging over him on the back of such a lengthy absence. If Poet's Voice doesn't make it, Godolphin will rely on Emerald Commander, who is far from an easy ride and doesn't look up to the task.

Chris Wall's veteran Premio Loco is solid and has shown an ability to act on the course, winning in listed company in 2009 and third (albeit comfortably held) behind Canford Cliffs and Rip Van Winkle in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes last year, but if he's going to win this then he's either going to have to improve or rely on the market principals failing to give their running.

Beacon Lodge and Set The Trend, like Premio Loco, are likely to find the competition just a little too hot, while Riggins and Zafisio, who complete the line up, have plenty to prove.

So, we go back to Strong Suit and answer the two questions that were posed earlier. Is he as good at a mile as at seven furlongs? Answer - Maybe. Do I want to back him at [3.2] to find out? Answer - Not really. That leaves two viable alternatives, ruling out Poet's Voice who still has to prove he's ready, namely Zoffany and Famous Name, and it's the former who makes most appeal against the penalised market leader given his strong Group 1 form at the trip.

Recommendation

Back Zoffany @ [6.0] in the Betfair Celebration Mile at Goodwood

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