Goodwood tomorrow

[my miss storm cat]

It's all about Blue Ksar...

Blue Ksar / Mullins / Championship

Goodwood - Sunday 16 September
Going: Good to Firm


15:45
7 Run Select Racing Uk On Sky 432 Stakes (group 3)
Class 1, £50000.00 added, 3yo plus, £28390.00 penalty 1m 1f 192y
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Form Horse Trainer Age Wgt Jockey
1(7) 11-1213 Blue Ksar (FR) Saeed bin Suroor 4 9 0 K McEvoy
2(5) 371146 Championship Point (IRE) M R Channon 4 9 0 T E Durcan
3(2) 62/2-235 Mullins Bay M F De Kock 6 9 0 J P Spencer
4(3) 118-203 Stotsfold W R Swinburn 4 9 0 A Kirby
5(6) 105012 Halicarnassus (IRE) M R Channon 3 8 11 T P O'Shea
6(1) 131113 Zaham (USA) M Johnston 3 8 8 R Hills
7(4) 31-5473 Basaata (USA) M P Tregoning 3 8 5 Martin Dwyer


Betting Forecast: 9/4 Championship Point (IRE), 3/1 Blue Ksar (FR), 5/1 Zaham (USA), 11/2 Halicarnassus (IRE), 8/1 Mullins Bay, 10/1 Stotsfold, 16/1 Basaata (USA)


FORMWATCH
BLUE KSAR (FR) 4-1 (9-1) Tracked leaders, went 2nd 2f out, soon ridden, kept on same pace final furlong, 3rd of 8, 3l behind Echelon (8-12) at Goodwood 1m Grp 2 (1) gd in Aug.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT (IRE) 5-1 (9-0) Took keen hold, held up in rear, ridden on wide outside when bumped inside final 3f, no impression final 2f, 6th of 9, 3 1/2l behind Queen's Best (8-11) at Windsor 1m 2f Grp 3 (1) gd in Aug.
MULLINS BAY 10-1 (9-4) Held up in touch, kept on same pace final 2f, 5th of 7, 5l behind Echo of Light (9-8) at York 1m 1f Grp 3 (1) gf.
STOTSFOLD 16-1 (9-1) Held up towards rear, headway into mid-division over 4f out, not clear run 3f out and 2f out, stayed on to take 3rd, 3rd of 12, 3l behind Purple Moon (9-1) at Goodwood 1m 4f lst stk (1) gf in Aug.
HALICARNASSUS (IRE) 9-1 (9-2) Chased leaders, ridden over 3f out, outpaced over 2f out, kept on to chase winner inside final furlong, 2nd of 7, 2 1/2l behind Echo of Light (9-8) at York 1m 1f Grp 3 (1) gf.
ZAHAM (USA) 11-8fav (8-7) Led at steady pace, quickened over 3f out, edged left and headed over 1f out, stayed on same pace final furlong, 3rd of 6, 1 1/2l behind Halicarnassus (8-7) at Haydock 1m 3f Grp 3 (1) gf in Aug.
BASAATA (USA) 16-1 (8-9) Mid-division, ridden and headway 2f out, stayed on strongly inside final furlong, 3rd of 15, 3/4l behind Sweet Lilly (8-9) at Sandown 1m lst fll stk (1) gf.

[NoChanceToDance]

Ground is too firm for Blue Ksar again........ why do they keep running him on firm ground???

He also hasn't quite looked up to Group level over here, and for a Group 3, this is a VERY strong contest where none can be completely ruled out.

Blue Ksar - Needs softer ground, but consistant.

Championship Point - needs to put his last run behind him and needs a good gallop which is unlikely here.

Mullins Bay - slightly out of form, but trip and ground will suit.

Stotsfold - Needs to improve to be competitive, but improvement isn't out of the question.

Hallicarnassus - Having a good time of it at the moment, will be the to benefit if the race turns tactical.

Zaham - this 3yo is going places and recieves plenty of weight from the older horses, trip and ground no problem and should get an uncontested lead. Likely winner.

Basaata - needs to improve, but gets lumps of weight here.

[NoChanceToDance]

Are Godolphin trying to ruin this horse?

The ground was very fast there today and he finished last. It was an absolute joke to run him on firm ground.

Stotsfold won, which was a bit of a surprise, but he is an improving horse as i had mentioned.

Here is the report for the Racing Post:

A race with a rich tradition from the moment Dancing Brave graced its elevation into a Group race in 1986 followed by Most Welcome and Mtoto. It was always going to be difficult to maintain that sort of level but, with a host of changed sponsors, it still has often looked above its Group 3 standing with the likes of Nayef, Moon Ballad and David Junior this millennium doing their bit at Group 1 level.
This was a typical-sized field but just lacking the top-class runner while still looking well up to its Group 3 status despite the lowest official rated STOTSFOLD leading home something of a bunched finish after a steady pace out in the country.
Stotsfold's unlucky third to subsequent Ebor winner Purple Moon off levels at the glorious meeting readswell in the light of subsequent events and the four-year-old's unexposed record is purely down the inclement summer.
Trainer Walter Swinburn said: "He needs this good to firm ground. It all went wrong for him first at Chester and then again at Epsom when it rained so we decided to ease off on him to wait for first the Winter Hill and then this to do a Leporello [who was sent out by his father-in-law Peter Harris to win both in 2003] but again the ground went against him at Windsor so he came straight here."
Ground will again dictate future plans and, with autumn setting in, he could again be limited, but connections are considering a Dubai campaign early next year for him to continue his progressive profile.
Zaham set the pace and enjoyed an uncontested lead, but the way he was rallying strongly inside the final furlong suggests he might have benefitted from kicking on even more. He still reversed recent form with Halicarnassus, who would have been another not suited to the lack of an end-to-end gallop.
Zaham still has a progressive profile and this Listed winner looks a Group winner in waiting.
Mullins Bay moved up strongly to lead as the false running rail ended, but did not impress under pressure and was passed by the winner as his head went back and he then turned his head in the final 100 yards as it got tight. This past Group 3 winner, albeit two years ago for former connections, looks one to treat with caution although he has not been beaten far.
Basaata and Halicarnassus ran as if they needed a stronger test as both were edging closer in the dying strides without ever having threatened to land a blow. The latter was a shade disappointing as he has been admirably consistent at this level recently.
Basaata still only has her maiden win on her cv, but fully deserves a Listed win and, on this evidence, this longer trip is not a problem for this strapping filly.
Blue Ksar was giving out signals that he was not happy on this faster ground, being niggled as early as the top of the straight, but his class got him into the firing line before he weakened inside the final furlong, failing to reproduce his good Celebration Mile effort here last month.