DAY 4 of The Qatar Goodwood Festival is the first day where I haven’t included a favourite in my selections at the time of writing on Thursday lunchtime. It would be great to see Nostrum take the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes as he ran really well at Newmarket on seasonal debut, however there is a concern about having not run on soft ground so far in his career, so I have selected Docklands, who is proven and progressing quickly.

The admirable Highfield Princess hasn’t been in the same form in 2023 and whilst she is well clear on the ratings I can’t mark her up with the same optimism as favourites like Kinross on Tuesday.
The Goodwood Handicap at 1.50 is one of my favourite races of the Qatar Goodwood Festival and my nap the wonderfully genuine Call The Wind has a strong chance.

Enjoy whether at Goodwood or watching #athome on ITV Racing or Racing TV.

Cheers!

The Wine Tipster

1.50 Goodwood – Goodwood Handicap (2m 4½f)
Calling The Wind (nap) must be a brilliant horse to own, and he has featured in a few of my Unibet blogs over the years. This is not a quality handicap by any means and it looks like Calling The Wind can give the weight away. The 2021 winner has been in tremendous form lately, with an excellent second in the Ascot Stakes (marked up in my Unibet blog) and then gamely winning the Northumberland Plate. That’s earned him a 4lb rise in the weights but going back to what was said at the top of the piece, this almost looks a step down in grade, and he can overcome that. Slow ground is of no bother, and he looks nailed on for the frame.
Unibet 5/1

Temporize put in a terrific effort at Ascot in the Brown Jack last Saturday on soft going, pulling well clear of the third when having a terrific battle with Blazeon Five to decide the outcome, and the handicapper has been remarkably generous in dropping him a pound when raising him two or three wouldn’t have been out of order. The concern is the ground – one go on soft is inconclusive, but if he handles it, he’s well handicapped and providing this hasn’t come too soon for this four-year-old then he can a big race.
Unibet 14/1

Unibet are paying Money Back as Cash if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd in this race.

2.25 Goodwood – Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes Group 3 (1m)
Docklands keeps improving and in a race which is tricky to call he could outpoint Nostrum, who is very classy and a favourite of mine, though he hasn’t form on soft ground. Docklands is really going places this season with form figures of 2111 and having been given a mark of 80 he is now at 104 after winning at Ascot in May in soft going, with an impressive follow up success in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Unibet 9/2

3.00 Goodwood – Golden Mile Heritage Handicap (1m)
Tacarib Bay for Unibet Ambassador Richard Hannon had three months off after been gelded and then ran really well in the International Stakes at Ascot when sixth and first home in his group on the far side of the track. He has won on soft going and can build on that performance.
Unibet 8/1 each way

Eilean Dubh form figures on his last three starts are 313 with a good win at Hamilton and a third last time out at York behind Blue For You, who reopposes here. Eilean Dubh has won on the soft and with Karl Burke’s yard in tremendous form he can put in a good performance at a big price for each way backers.
Unibet 50/1 each way

3.35 Goodwood – King George Qatar Stakes Group 2 (5f)
Silky Wilkie has an each way opportunity in a Group 2 where Highfield Princess, who has not been at her best this season, can still win, as she is well clear of the opposition.
Silky Wilkie likes a bit of dig in the ground and his last two efforts when short-headed in the Epsom Dash and second in the City Of York show he’s in good form. Placed on his only start at the track he will go well in an open contest.
Unibet 12/1 each way

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