Horse Racing Betting Tips: Fallon set for Raucous ride in his first Stewards’ Cup
BACK in 1861 as many as 45 horses lined up for the Stewards’ Cup (3.40pm), though not all of them passed the starting tape due to a severe lack of competent jockeys.
The number of starters for tomorrow’s £250,000 six-furlong cavalry charge now stands at 28 and you can be sure that every member of the weighing room would love to have a ride in this famous race.
One rider who is extremely popular at the moment, and particularly in handicaps thanks to his 5lb claim, is Cieren Fallon.
Carrying the reputation of father Kieren, a six-time champion jockey and two-time Stewards’ Cup winner, on his 20-year-old shoulders hasn’t proved to be a problem thus far.
He’s ridden 22 winners already this season and is being praised from trainers, owners and fellow jockeys alike.
As was the case when Jason Watson landed this race 12 months ago on Gifted Master with a 5lb claim, Fallon’s weight allowance could prove the difference on RAUCOUS.
Robert Cowell’s six-year-old is a fairly classy individual with plenty of strong form in the book and is well worth a crack at 25/1.
Fourth in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and then a comfortable winner at Yarmouth last time out, he looks spot on for this and Fallon all-but offsets his mount’s 6lb penalty.
His draw in 18 looks fine but it’s always worth picking one on each side of the track and 16/1 shot SUMMERGHAND is the other selection in stall six.
Again, the jockey booking is eye-catching with Ryan Moore called in for the ride, while his four runs this season have all been solid efforts but he’s yet to get his head in front.
Connections will be pleased the ground has dried out and he looks like one that’s likely to land a big pot sooner or later.
The final day of Glorious Goodwood gets underway with the Qatar Stewards’ Sprint Handicap (1.50pm), or the Stewards’ Cup Consolation Race to you and me.
A field of 24 is set to line up and punters will get a chance to see if there is any draw bias ahead of the big one at 3.40pm.
Winners have come from all over the track in the past decade, although it has generally paid to be somewhere in the middle rather than directly out on each wing.
My first selection is BALLYQUIN for the Andrew Balding stable who won this race two years ago with Scorching Heat.
The four-year-old has run twice this season, putting in two excellent performances with seconds at Ascot and Newmarket.
He looks to be improving quickly and James Doyle is a very interesting jockey booking.
There’s a chance that his draw in stall 19 might be a little high, but hopefully they’ll come up the middle which will reduce the effect of any bias.
I’m convinced this son of Acclamation is better than his handicap mark of 82 and he is worth backing each-way at 10/1.
I’ll take one on the other side as well and the safest option is Richard Hughes’ PUDS who has been so consistent this term.
In six outings since March, he hasn’t finished outside the first three and was a very good second to Lake Volta over course and distance two starts back.
He comes out of stall six and looks a fair price at 14/1.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Ballyquin e/w 1.50pm Goodwood
Puds e/w 1.50pm Goodwood
Raucous e/w 3.40pm Goodwood
Summerghand e/w 3.40pm Goodwood