It's fairly telling that despite runners from Charlie Appleby and William Haggas, it's the biscuit Baron Hugo Palmer who is at the apex of the betting on the Sportsbook with We're Goosers, and I don't see too much wrong with having a punt here at 7/24.50.
His run at Newmarket's Craven meeting was puzzling in many ways as he appeared to be a non-stayer over 1m, but delving into the performance in a bit more detail despite him appearing to wilt at the end is the avenue of attack. I think he'lll stay and i will give him another shot of redemption.
The meeting as a whole at HQ was tricky with the stalls placed in different positions for the three days and We're Goosers was drawn on the flank and furthest away, but was egged on by fellow front-runner Major Neigh Sayer - who tamely finished 10th.
Quite a few horses in that race were under intense pressure before 2f out, but at that point, We're Goosers looked to have gone for home far too soon. His finishing speed of 95% was the slowest of the first six home and would testify to the initial impression, likewise his final furlong at 13.77, which was the slowest out of the first nine home.
He should get 1m judged on his juvenile win at Newcastle over 7f and he remains from a mark of 84 which should be attainable.
Back We're Goosers in the 14:55 at Newmarket on Friday
I backed Charlie Hills' Cashbox on the opening day of the Craven meeting, a run devoid of any hope - he was one of the day's shrivellers - and I am struggling to find any enthusiasm for the the Hills' yard at the moment with one win in their last 20.
However, Elarak is a pure out-and-out good-to-firm horse and has winning form at Newmarket and I thought he should have been a little shorter in the betting than the 4/15.00 on offer with the Sportsbook.
His win at the back-end of the season on the Rowley Mile off a mark of 96 came when racing in the smaller group of two across the track and he was very convincing off a steady-ish pace to clock a fast closing furlong of under 12 seconds.
He looked good in a novice too winning on the July course and swept past the Godolphin horse Naval Command.
A nice prep at Thirsk three weeks ago in a conditions' race will have him spot-on here.
Back Elarak in the 16:05 at Newmarket on Friday
Good racing is everywhere on Saturday and at Goodwood I am very much looking forward to seeing the Godolphin filly Hassaleh.
My notekeeping - and, yes, it's still pen and paper for me - had Hassaleh's win at Newmarket in a fillies' maiden as one which was underlined in blue biro.
Her performance in a time of 1m25.29 ranked quite well for just her second career run compared to the other times over 7f at the meeting. Cerro Blanco won in 1m26.85, and the impressive Talk Of New York in 1m24.84. Startled's handicap win was clocked at 1m27.44 with Azleet's Nell Gwyn time of 1m25.08.
Hassaleh's final furlong of 11.66 was one of the speediest final furlongs across the three days - faster than the juvenile Adaay Of Scarlet's 11.79 over 5f and also quicker than Jakajaro's 11.74 over 5f.
She's a daughter of Night Of Thunder who goes up in class here to a Listed race but with a fair bit of speed, I can see Goodwood suiting her.
Three rivals hold ratings in advance of 100, but Hassaleh looks the big potential improver and the price of 8/1 underpays her chances.
Back Hassaleh in the 13:30 at Goodwood on Saturday
Thirsk is not to be outdone for a terrific weekend of racing with the Hunt Cup - and will there be another winner of the great handicap like the great Farhh in 2012? He became a Group 1 star after that and sadly I doubt a win of that pomp in the race will ever be replicated.
Anotico Murgia that day closed his eyes and held on for dear life as the horse took him around the Thirsk plains with ease.
I am going to take a swing here on a big price with the Declan Carroll-trained Esherann and I'll take half of that Farhh performance.
At 25/126.00 he's priced up as a no-hoper, but he shouldn't be as his form in Ireland last term when trained by Dermot Weld puts him in the frame.
He won a handicap over 1m at the Curragh for Weld when running in the late Aga Khan silks and won with any amount in hand. It was a silky smooth performance on good to firm going - a win where he raced prominently, travelled and quickened sharply.
That win came in the first-time visor, and he had previously worn a set of cheekpieces for his maiden victory at Naas.
He was soon gelded after his Curragh win, so there's a hint of temperament or was hopefully with the vital equipment gone.
Esherann made his debut for his new stable and Carroll at the Newmarket Craven meeting in Mister Winston's Handicap, wearing the tongue tie and racing keenly from stall four and was well down the field, but might just have been a stepping stone for this.
That outing could well have been needed to iron out whatever was hassling him, but on the Curragh victory he looked talented and decent ground over 1m will suit him with some pace to run at.
We also have four places on the Sportsbook for one of the big handicaps of the weekend.
Back Esherann in the 14:40 at Thirsk on Saturday EW
A rather strange build-up to this year's 2,000 Guineas with Aidan O'Brien's computer "going bananas" with Gstaad now supplemented, likewise Charlie Pike adding Padraig Dawn, although Pike's computer behaved prior it seems.
And then we get to the top of the market in which George Boughey's Bow Echo could be the best thing since sliced bread. The trainer certainly isn't short of confidence, but I try to avoid hype horses. Nevertheless, if he's as good as Boughey thinks, then great, we could have a superstar.
With 20 runners and no obvious Ballydoyle superstar fit, I am going to take a chance on King's Trail who comes into this race almost by stealth.
He made his rivals look very ordinary on his debut - winning a Kempton novice in December by barely turning a hair and did well considering the pace was quite steady off a finishing speed of near 109% - but his turn of foot looked nice (in Jazz parlance).
King's Trail ran at Kempton 35 days ago, under a penalty in a novice and faced eight rivals, seven of whom were previous winners and once again he overcame a messy race with a lack of pace to run them down with his potent turn of foot.
For a son of Sea The Stars with entries in the Dante and Derby, he isn't short of speed, just what you want for a Guineas horse, and just what the great STS as a stallion provides.
It's obviously a big jump in class, but his turn of foot is exciting - clocking 11.15 in the penultimate furlong last time at Kempton.
Charlie Appleby has won three of the last four Classics for the colts, and King's Trail reminds me of their 2022 winner Coroebus and a hint of Notable Speech.
Back King's Trail in the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday EW
If Godolphin and Appleby have a good weekend, so do we, and it's rare we'd get a chance to back a blue blood filly once-raced with one win at 14/115.00.
It looks an open Classic with the trial races leading up to Sunday offering little, and if there is a shock to be had, maybe something at a big price will pop up here.
At 14/115.00 for a fancy, we can back Abashiri who won on debut on the All-Weather by 4L on her only start back in November.
Again, running on the All-Weather prior to Newmarket is not a negative and has been done before and as a daughter of Frankel and Sobetsu the dam, she's a classically bred filly.
Sobetsu's four offspring have produced three winners. She needed fast ground on the track, having run in the Fillies' Mile.
Abashiri raced and then was put away for the winter after winning by a big margin, again in effortless fashion and clocked an eye-popping 11.12 seconds at the final furlong off a steady pace of 111% finishing speed. She was shaken up ever so slightly into the straight, which wasn't a surprise from the lack of speed, but it was impressive and she looks a filly big on size.
Wlliam Buick said post-Kempton: "When you've ridden the dams of horses, she's beautifully bred this filly and I really liked the way she did and has plenty of scope for next year.
"She came her ready to run and whatever she did she was going to improve and nice to go into the winter off the back of that."
We can back a Godolphin filly, bred for the job, proven over the trip already with a good turn of foot and will stay further. I was just surprised she was 14/115.00 on the Sportsbook.
Back Abashiri in the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday EW