Glorious Goodwood

Glorious Goodwood Day Five Tips: Mark Milligan with three selections on the final day

Glorious Goodwood
Mark Milligan has taken a look at the final day of Glorious Goodwood

Mark Milligan previews the closing day of Glorious Goodwood and has a trio of selections...


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13:50 Goodwood - Back Aimeric

There may only be five runners in the opening 1m 4f Group 3 Glorious Stakes, but it's a highly competitive affair and none of the quintet can be safely ruled out.

Al Aasy sets the standard on the pick of his form and he produced an encouraging effort when second to another of this field, Phantom Flight, on his reappearance at Newbury last month.

He ought to come on for that, but it's also worth bearing in mind the winner had been off the best part of a year too, so there may not be much between them once again.

My problem with Al Aasy is that he just isn't the heartiest in a battle, for all he's probably got the most talent in the line-up, and at seven years old, the chances are he isn't getting any better.

I prefer the claims of Aimeric, who was a progressive handicapper last season and struck on his seasonal return at Lingfield.

Roger Varian's Frankel gelding has gone on to finish runner-up in listed company on his last two starts, both of those performances likely to see him hold his own in this company.

He wasn't beaten far by Godolphin's King Of Conquest at Newmarket last time and deserves extra credit having come for a bit further back than that one.

He'd also been second to that same rival at this track the time before, when a steady pace made closing difficult, and he did well to get as close as he did.

There's reason to think Aimeric could still have a bit more progression in him and he makes plenty of appeal to land his first pattern success.


14:25 Goodwood - Back Fairbanks

I don't mind backing those towards the head of the weights at Goodwood, as the undulating and rather turning nature of the track means they often don't get running until well into the home straight.

With that in mind, I'm siding with the progressive Fairbanks to shrug off a 6lb rise in this 1m 6f handicap.

Andrew Balding's four-year-old has improved throughout the season, winning a handicap at Newcastle in June before posting good efforts at Hamilton and Royal Ascot.

He progressed again when taking a valuable handicap at Newmarket's July meeting last time, impressing with how he went about things and soon having matters in hand when asked, whilst relishing the step up to this trip for the first time.

Fairbanks took that off a mark of 94, but was value for extra, and the handicapper may have erred on the side of leniency by only putting him up to 100.

His next logical target is the Ebor at York and I can see him taking this contest on the way to the Knavesmire.


15:00 Goodwood - Back Free Wind

John & Thady Gosden's Free Wind sets a clear standard in the 1m 6f Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes and she should take plenty of beating with conditions set to be in her favour.

This daughter of Galileo won the Middleton Stakes at York on her reappearance last season before going on to finish a fine second to Warm Heart in the Yorkshire Oaks back there at the Ebor meeting.

The selection was thought good enough to have a tilt at the Arc too, though found that a bridge too far, but there was plenty of encouragement in her comeback run this season, again in the Middleton at York.

She finished second to Bluestocking there but, in ratings terms, ran just about as well as she had when winning the race in 2023, and that form has been rubber stamped by the winner going on to take the Pretty Polly at the Curragh before finishing a fine second in last week's King George at Ascot.

It's worth noting that Free Wind could only finish fourth in this race last season, but that came in deep ground and she's a much better operator on a firmer surface.

Provided the rain stays away, she'll take plenty of stopping this time around.


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