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Stewards’ Cup Dreams at Goodwood

Our racing guru attempts to solve the Steward’s Cup puzzle.


STEWARDS’ CUP
Saturday 3rd August, 3:35pm

Dark Trooper @ 5/1
Albasheer @ 13/2
Purosangue @ 13/2
Lethal Levi @ 10/1
Apollo One @ 14/1
view odds

*prices correct at time of writing. 


THE RACE
With up to 28 runners charging across six furlongs of what feels almost like the roof of West Sussex, high on the Downs, the cavalry charge of the Stewards Cup (3-35) is as spectacular a sight as any during the flat season. And the big field ensures loads of money being put where mouths are, so much so that the race is Goodwood’s biggest betting event of the year and amongst the most attractive to punters of the whole summer.


THE MARKET
Dark Trooper has been on many lips for this since storming home from a less than ideal position into the runners-up spot in the Wokingham at Ascot, earning the encouraging Racing Post analysis of “did well in the circumstances”.

A whole host of these were behind him that day including the forward-going Lethal Levi (4th), here back to his optimum distance after a bold bid in the Bunbury Cup (with Goodwood regular and 2020 winner Summerghand in third and Mostabshir 18th after an awkward start). Others from the Wokingham include Glenfinnan (5th) whose stable relishes Goodwood sprint handicaps; 11th-placed Cover Up, which never entirely recovered from being slow from the stalls; Fivethousandtoone, luckless in 22nd; and Albasheer (18th).

Albasheer, eighth on heavy in last year’s Stewards Cup, was another not to receive the rub of the green in the Wokingham and he’s been busy since, picking up a penalty for winning back at Ascot, over five furlongs, on King George day last weekend.

Plenty of these have been putting up fine runs in defeat, none more so than Purosangue, one of just two three-year-olds, most recently second in a Group Three at Sandown, with, in sixth, Apollo One, last year’s runner-up in this, two places in front of Mr Wagyu.

Dream Composer’s Goodwood CV includes success over this distance, and it’s perhaps interesting that Tom Marquand sticks with him having finished just behind Albasheer (and now better off) over five furlongs last time out.

Seven Questions, the other three-year-old, is likeable, from an in-form stable and back up distance.


THE WINNER
I’m going with Dream Composer but clearly cases can be made for lots – what do you reckon?


CORN’S QUARTET
Fairbanks (2-25) has been on an upward trajectory for some time but the increase in distance and first-time blinkers seemed to create an extra step forward last time.

In the Lillie Langtry (3-00) just behind the obvious ones in the betting is a proper regally-bred filly in Grateful, a three-year-old by Galileo out of the US-trained Queen Anne winner Tepin, and a potential dark ‘un for Aidan O’Brien and Jim Crowley – Ryan Moore’s at Saratoga.

At Galway, although the week hasn’t been as prolific as we’re used to for Dermot Weld, Newtown Duke (3-40) jumps off the page after an encouraging career start at Limerick.

Staying at Galway, at 4-50, last year’s winner Dragon Of Malta is well-handicapped, racing off the same mark as 2023 and with an almost identical prep run.


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