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Goodwood Festival Saturday Tips: Trawlerman tops Tony Calvin's quintet

Tony Calvin
29 July 2022
4:00 min read

TC has four bets on the final day at Glorious Goodwood

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It's the final day of Glorious Goodwood and Tony Calvin has found five horses to back including two in the Stewards' Cup...

"She is a course winner and finished a neck second on her only other start here (the defeat coming in a 1m6f handicap at this meeting last season), and this is her optimum trip on all the evidence available to us."

Back Urban Artist 14:45 Goodwood @ 11.010/1

ITV have added a couple of Newmarket races to their Saturday schedule, but neither of the small-field contests there made much betting appeal.

For what it is worth I thought Ralph Beckett had a decent chance of landing a double with Fox Degree and Star Fortress, but they were predictably well found in the market (though they were available at 3/1 and 11/2 respectively in a place when the markets opened on Thursday).

It is Goodwood all the way in this column.

Dark Shot one to watch without favourite

The terrestrial action gets off to a low-key start with a 2yo 7f maiden at 13:05 - no prizes for guessing I would rather the 18-runner handicap at the end of the card was in its place - and I don't have much input here.

There was a word going round for The Foxes at a price in the Chesham at Royal Ascot but, in keeping with a few in that race, he disappointed. Maybe he will bounce back here and confirm the promise of his debut, but Classic probably sets the form standard and the once-raced Hunkpapa and Loyal Touch have plenty of improvement in them, no doubt.

Too many unknowns for me.

We know what we are getting in the 5f handicap at 13:40 - in the case of Stone Of Destiny that is utter disappointment and a much lighter wallet - as they are all battle-hardened sprinters.

It is quite sad to see the Stewards' Cup consolation race attracting a mere 12 runners - there were 25 in it last season - and there was some suggestion that the presence of Lethal Levi have scared plenty off, along with other races next week taking priority. It was an odd one, whatever the reason.

I don't necessarily buy into Lethal Levi being a major factor, but he undoubtedly has an outstanding chance as a horse officially 9lb well-in and I wouldn't be in a mad dash to oppose him, even at around 7/4 on the Exchange.

He is an uncomplicated front-runner and you suspect only a dislike of the track may get him beat but, hey, this is a sprint handicap. We can let him win unbacked at his price.

Do take a look at Dark Shot, though, as I had a speculative few quid him on him at 50/1 and 40/1 each way on Thursday night. He is currently 33s with the Sportsbook.

The reasons for the bets were that he was the winner of the Magnolia Cup on Thursday. Now, that may be nothing in itself but it proved his well-being and this horse has a good record when turned out again quickly.

He won three times in 13 days last season, the middle leg coming after a break of just 72 hours, and he has often run well when turned out again within two days. Throw in the fact that he has also cascaded down the handicap and has course form, finishing fourth in this race in 2018 off a 19lb higher mark, and he is very interesting indeed, even if he is arguably better over 5f.

Beating Lethal Levi may be beyond him, so when the Without Favourite markets open up on the Betfair Sportsbook, look to back him at 20s, and 16/1+, though obviously I can't stick him up now, unfortunately.

Another spin on Trawlerman

I had a decent bet on Trawlerman last time and he was one of many who got no run in a very messy, and unsightly spectacle of a race, so I have to give him another spin in the 1m6f handicap at 14:10.

That Newmarket run was clearly a non-event for him - considering James Doyle totally gave up on him after getting no running room for much of the last 3f, the horse did remarkably well to beaten just 7 lengths - so the handicapper has done him a small favour by dropping him 1lb when he was fully entitled to ignore the performance.

That run came on the back of another throw-out run at Royal Ascot, a race in which he was buried near last place on the inside after missing the break, and Frankie Dettori didn't persevere with him from an early stage.

The fact that he went off as the 4/1 joint-favourite at Ascot gives you a hint as to how well he could be handicapped here - and they claim 5lb off him, too - and this 1m6f trip really should suit on pedigree, as he is by Golden Horn out a mare who stayed 2m.

The first-time hood is a touch surprising but presumably he has been tried in it at home, and all went acceptably. And the record of the Gosden's with this initial headgear is impressive.

John Gosden was 24 from 98 on his own in recent years, and he is three from nine in partnership with his son, The Real Slim Thady.

Back him at 7.06/1 or better. I was hoping for bigger - indeed he opened at 17/2 in a place - but 6s and bigger is worthy of a minor wager.

Euchen Glen and the visored Themaxwecan have dropped down to tempting marks - the former in particular, who has caught the eye on a couple of occasions this season - but I will decline the invitation to go in two-handed.

Take a chance on Urban Artist

I originally didn't have a betting opinion in the Lillie Langtry at 14:45, not least for the fact that each-way punters will be embarking on a white-knuckle ride if they get involved at this stage.

I am not sure how much water Goodwood are planning to splash on Friday evening, but the spectre of a non-runner on drying ground looms large, though they put 5mm on the straight after racing on Thursday, with 2mm on the bends. I imagine they will do the same again.

I am going to chance on one of the potential non-runners (if it is deemed too fast for her by trainer Hughie Morrison), Urban Artist, at 11.010/1 and bigger.

Her best form is undoubtedly on good or softer - her reappearance second over 1m6f at York was probably a career-best - but she ran okay on good to firm at Pontefract last season and it was officially the same going description when she ran a cracker in the Queen Alexandra last time.

Maybe the merit of that run wouldn't necessarily be reflected in the figures, but she looked a big threat to all in that race when making a sweeping move on the outside around the final bend before her stamina may have petered out over that extended 2m5f, so I am inclined to mark that run up.

She is a course winner and finished a neck second on her only other start here (the defeat coming in a 1m6f handicap at this meeting last season), and this is her optimum trip on all the evidence available to us.

Two to back in the big race of the day

The temptation is to always have an opinion in the biggest betting race of the day but I must admit that I struggled to warm to the Stewards' Cup at 15:20, mainly because the two I fancied most are drawn low, and the pace in the race looks predominantly. If not exclusively, high.

However, I am going to bite the bullet and play Saint Lawrence and Annaf to small stakes, once again, at 26.025/1 and 30.029/1 respectively (20s and 25s upwards would be acceptable).

Their low draws mean they may be weak in the exchange market - as Bless Him was from stall three last Saturday (Betfair SP of 22.18 against an Industry SP of 12/1) - so you may well want to wait and bac them nearer the off on Saturday.

But I have to tip in the here and now and Annaf comes in here as a fast-progressing horse and I like his profile. By the way, he is 25/1 with the Betfair Sportsbook, who are paying six places, and that is very acceptable if you want to get filled straight away.

He shaped far better than his finishing position suggests when third here over 7f in May and when fifth from a disadvantageous track position at York next time, and he was backed at big odds to win a Group 3 at Newcastle last time.

He ran an absolute stormer to finish second there and was unfortunate enough to bump into one of those William Haggas dramatic improvers in Sense Of Duty.

Annaf, drawn in five, paid for the run with a 6lb rise, but he is a lightly-raced (this is just his ninth start) and progressive 3yo and I'll take my chances, bad draw or not.

You can forgive Saint Lawrence, berthed in seven, his poor run at Newbury last time as he was drawn widest towards the far side at Newbury and it was not the place to be.

Betfair Goodwood.jpg

And I think he is fairly treated on his earlier Group race exploits, which included a length third to Khaadem in the Palace House and a 6-length sixth to Nature Strip in the King's Stand.

On both occasions he was finishing off well over the 5f trip, so I like him over 6f here, and maybe connections think taking the blinkers off he has worn on bis last two starts will freshen him up.

The Royal Ascot run came in the first-time headgear but all his other best efforts have been accoutrements-free, and maybe connections simply think the blinkers didn't work second time at Newbury,

I was originally to leave the 15:55 alone - it looks very competitive - but in the final analysis I thought Koy Koy was too big at 15/2 win-only with the Betfair Sportsbook.

It is a very competitive race but he ran okay when beaten only 5 ½ lengths in the Britannia - not as well as I hoped, admittedly - and he probably did very well to win on his debut for the impressive George Boughey at Newmarket last time considering he apparently got loose beforehand (which would probably explain the sweating, which was evident in the race itself).

He has a likeable profile and he may be better than that win, which he only got put up 2lb for, and hopefully the step down to 7f won't be an inconvenience.

Be lucky.