JOHN GOSDEN'S POSSIBLE RUNNERS AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD 2007

GOODWOOD RACECOURSE RELEASE

JOHN GOSDEN’S POSSIBLE RUNNERS AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD 2007

TUESDAY, JULY 31

In the £50,000 Group Three Gordon Stakes (2.50pm), Raincoat is a likely runner. Winner of his sole start at two, Raincoat made a winning return to action in the Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom before finding Authorized four lengths too strong in the Dante Stakes at York. His latest outing came in the French Derby on June 3, when he was beaten seventh lengths into 11th place behind Lawman.

John Gosden commented: "He goes for the Gordon Stakes all being well. The Prix du Jockey Club was all a bit sharp for him and he wants a mile and a half. He is in the St Leger as well as Lucarno."

Royal Oath and Racer Forever are both possible starters in the £150,000 Group Two Betfair Cup (3.25pm). Royal Oath enjoyed his finest hour when taking the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot by fourth lengths on June 20. He subsequently stepped up to Pattern class to contest the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot on July 14, only finding Cesare a length and a quarter too good. Racer Forever, a Listed winner at Epsom in 2006, has run two good races under big weights in handicaps on his latest two appearances, finishing eighth under 9st 10lb in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot and fifth under 9st 3lb in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.


WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1

Raven’s Pass could line up in the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (2.50pm). The two-year-old Elusive Quality colt was successful on his sole start to date, scoring at 20/1 in a seven-furlong maiden at Yarmouth on July 17. He is also in a Listed race at Ascot.

Pipedreamer, Guiseppe Verdi, Bergonzi and Idle No More are all possible starters in the £85,000 BGC Heritage Handicap (4.05pm), a mile and a half contest for three-year-olds. Pipedreamer was successful in a mile maiden at Goodwood on May 19 and then scored at Pontefract. He ran well on his latest start to finish fourth in the competitive Kleinwort Benson Handicap at the Newmarket July Meeting. Guiseppe Verdi has won three times in lesser company so far this season, most recently scoring over 10 furlongs on the Polytrack at Kempton on June 20. Bergonzi has already won over a mile and a half this season, winning a Windsor handicap on May 21, while Idle No More is the least experienced of the quartet, having won a maiden easily at Southwell before finishing out the frame in a Sandown handicap.


THURSDAY, AUGUST 2

Opal Haze could start in the Group Three Lillie Langtry Fillies’ Stakes (2.15pm). The daughter of With Approval has run twice before, most recently landing a mile and a half maiden at Kempton on July 17 by four lengths.

Pipedreamer is likely to run in the £100,000 Alphameric Vase Heritage Handicap (4.00pm) over a mile and a quarter and maybe also Novikov, successful in a mile maiden at Newmarket on May 23 before finishing second in a handicap over the same distance at York on July 13, when he possibly found the ground too soft, Guiseppe Verdi and Cold Quest.


FRIDAY, AUGUST 3

Imperial Star could run in the Listed Coutts Glorious Stakes over a mile and a half.

Costume will go for the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes (2.50pm). Fourth in the French 1,000 Guineas in May, she was last seen out when finishing third in Listed Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot.

John Gosden said: "The plan is to go to the Oak Tree Stakes with Costume and then take her to America to race. She is from the last crop of Danehill. You have just got to face the fact that prize money is not good enough to hold horses here. Tybalt and Royal Oath will also probably be going to America later in the year."

Two possible contenders for the six-furlong Group Two Richmond Stakes (4.05pm) are Master Chef and Legal Eagle. Master Chef showed promise on his first three starts before easily winning a six-furlong maiden at Ascot on July 13. Legal Eagle has run twice, finishing third on debut over six furlongs at Newbury before winning comfortably over the same course and distance next time out on June 5.

John Gosden said: "Master Chef won in good style at Ascot the other day. I just popped on a little semi-blinker which concentrated his mind. He had previously run a bit timidly, being more worried about the other horses rather than getting on with the job - he has always shown speed.
"He is genuine - it is just a question of helping him to concentrate. When you think they are herd animals, they spend a lot of time looking at each other and moving in a herd by instinct and in a sense it is not necessarily natural for a horses to burst three or four lengths clear. Master Chef and Legal Eagle want different ground so it will be one or the other."

Fortuity will bid to follow up on his recent Kempton nursery victory in the seven-furlong Royal & SunAlliance Nursery (4.40pm).


SATURDAY, AUGUST 4

Cold Quest, Idle No More and Guiseppe Verdi and Bergonzi are all possibles for the opening Blue Square.com Handicap (2.05pm), while in the Listed Blue Square Poker.com Thoroughbred Stakes (2.35pm), Tybalt and Asperity could line up.

Tybalt was the ready winner of the Ritz Club Handicap at Newmarket on July 13 - the handicapper raised him 11lb for that success - while Asperity was successful in the Group Three Prix Paul du Moussac at Chantilly on June 10 before finishing sixth to Lawman in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on July 8.

Nannina (see info) is being aimed at the Group One Blue Square Nassau Stakes (3.10pm).

ENDS