Glorious Goodwood Tips: Mark Milligan's best bets on Day 1 include Cup fancy at 10/1

Goodwood, 14:25 - Vintage Stakes: Back Haffner @ 2/13.00

3 (3)

Haffner (Usa)

• J: Ryan Moore
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F: 21

• SBK 2/1
• EXC 3.25

A lot has been made of the form of the Aidan O'Brien yard lately, but there have been signs in the last week or so that his string could be coming back to the boil and I fancy the well-bred Haffner to give the Master of Ballydoyle a fourth win in race that he hasn't really farmed like so many juvenile events down the years.

Haffner is bred to get better as he goes up in trip and that certainly looked the case as he got off the mark at the second attempt last time, stepping up to 7f having finished runner-up over a furlong shorter on debut.

The form of that Newmarket win just 17 days ago has already been given a boost with the third that day, Velociraptor, coming out and winning at Chester over the weekend.

Favourite Al Hudaiba doesn't look the most straightforward, for all he sets a good standard, and I'm hopeful Haffner can improve past him.

Goodwood, 15:35 - Goodwood Cup: Back Rahiebb E/W @ 10/111.00

5 (4)

Rahiebb

• J: Ray Dawson
• T: Roger Varian
• F: 222342-18

• SBK 10/1
• EXC 14.5

Scandinavia and Trawlerman served up a real treat in what was probably the race of the meeting in the Ascot Gold Cup last time and they look very difficult to separate as they go head-to-head once again over half a mile shorter in the Goodwood Cup.

Trawlerman skipped this last year which left the way clear for Scandinavia to claim the spoils, though he had to work hard to get the job done ahead of stablemate Illinois.

As I say, there should be little between the main players once again, but I'm going to take a flyer that Rahieeb can run much better up against the pair this time than he did at Ascot, where he could finish only eighth.

I suspect his stamina simply ran out over that extreme trip, but we only have to go back to the St Leger last year to see him go very close to getting the better of Scandinavia, where he went down by only a neck.

I'm expecting Rahiebb to run much better over this shorter trip and he seems overpriced at 10/111.00 with Roger Varian's team in flying form right now.

Hopefully all eight runners stand their ground and we can be rewarded by playing the selection each-way.

Goodwood, 17:20 - Back Crazee Icon E/W @ 6/17.00

11 (6)

Crazee Icon

• J: Ray Dawson
• T: Andrew Balding
• F: 622-52511

• SBK 6/1
• EXC 8.2

On a day where good quality Group contests are supported by a series of trappy handicaps, I'm going to play to small stakes Crazee Icon each-way in this fillies' handicap.

As usual with Goodwood, plenty of luck in running is likely to be the order of the day when betting in these types of races, but Crazee Icon is a strong-travelling sort who should move into the race nicely and she's very much on the upgrade as she comes here in search of a hat-trick.

Andrew Balding's daughter Sixties Icon took a bit of time to put it all together, but she's progressing nicely now and has a pedigree that suggests she can rate even higher than her current BHA mark 80, being closely related to Mister Winston, who is currently rated 103.

There are plenty of potential improvers in opposition, not least the William Haggas-trained Proposal, but I'm hopeful that Crazee Icon hasn't finished progressing herself yet.

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