Horse Racing Betting Tips: More Glorious winners await Tudhope with Dubawi Fifty
THERE are very few Flat racesstarted by a flag and possibly the most famous is today’s opening Unibet Goodwood Handicap (1.50pm), run over 2m4½f.
Founded in 1823, this is one of Goodwood’s oldest races and is always popular with racegoers because the runners start in front of the stands, going the reverse way down the course before looping and coming back up the straight.
Last year’s hero Lil Rockerfeller is bidding to become the first dual winner since Hugs Dancer in 2002, but he will have to defy a huge rise in the weights to do so.
You would struggle to find an easier winner than Neil King’s inmate 12 months ago, making a mockery of his mark of 82 and coming 15 lengths clear of his rivals.
He hasn’t run on the Flat since then because he has an aversion to starting stalls, but that doesn’t mean he’s managed to avoid the handicapper and now lines up 17lbs higher.
That will make things tough, although he obviously can’t be ruled out after such a strong performance.
However, the one I think is going to be very hard to beat is DUBAWI FIFTY after his excellent second in the Northumberland Plate last month.
That was Karen McLintock’s stable star’s first start for over a year and he travelled beautifully into the race only to be worn down late on by Who Dares Wins.
He has a brilliant record in staying handicaps, having been placed in the Cesarewitch, Chester Cup, Ascot Stakes and now the Plate.
The trip won’t be a problem and with in-form jockey Danny Tudhope taking the ride, he is expected to go very close at around the 6/1 mark.
There are plenty of other interesting contenders, including Roger Charlton’s progressive True Destiny and Sir Mark Prescott’s Timoshenko who is on a six-timer.
Liberty Beach is going to be in warm order in the Group Three Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes (3.00pm) after her impressive Listed win at Sandown earlier this month.
She also ran a cracker to be fourth to Raffle Prize in the Queen Mary Stakes, so has to be respected from an ideal draw in stall 12 against the stands rail.
Wesley Ward took Maven out of the Norfolk Stakes because of the ground and the US handler will be hoping the rain stays away for his speedball.
He won a Group Three at Chantilly last month, but this downhill test will be a bit of a culture shock based on what he is used to.
Tom Dascombe won this prize four years ago with Kachy and he may be able to repeat the trick with DR SIMPSON who looks overpriced at 12/1 with Coral.
She was a good second on debut at Windsor back in April, before running away with a five-furlong novice at Chester earlier this month.
The manner of that victory was hugely impressive and she gets the fillies’ allowance which could be significant.
Goodwood handicaps are notoriously difficult puzzles to solve and the 1m4f Unibet Handicap for three-year-olds is no exception.
You can’t really rule any of them out, but I will be backing Ralph Beckett’s FUTURE INVESTMENT at 9/1.
He has won two of his four career starts and there was no disgrace in finishing third to Dadoozdart in the Ulster Derby at Down Royal last month.
POINTERS
Dubawi Fifty e/w 1.50pm Goodwood
Future Investment e/w 2.25pm Goodwood
Dr Simpson e/w 3.00pm Goodwood