I thought the 2/1 about DANDALLA was too good and I was proven right as she was quickly punted into 7/4. Karl Burke's filly was a high class 2 year old and one that I personally rated very highly. She had excuses for her poor runs last year but her good runs were very, very good and her win at Ascot will live long in the memory. She travelled well over 7f on her return but faded late on and I suggest that may have been a combination of the trip and lack of fitness. The drop to 6f on her second run back should see her in a much better light and it's worth remembering her trainer had a lot of success with the last high class 3 year old sprinting mare he had.
I'm a big believer in my eye and I was suitably impressed with ALEAS last time out at Haydock. The ground may have exaggerated the winning distance but he couldn't have done it any easier. Ralph Beckett is a master with this type of horse and also boasts a sound Goodwood record. The Cocked Hat stakes today isn't a vintage renewal and I think the selection has a nice chance at around 7/2.
Haydock 2.05 – Dandalla
Goodwood 3.25 – Aleas
Saturday
Last Saturday was very kind to me so I'm hoping I can back it up this week. My banker of the weekend is the short priced ALDAARY. William Haggas must have plenty of faith in this horse to keep him in handicap company off a mark of 105 and he has to concede a fair lump of weight as a result. However, in all of his runs to date, he has looked a group performer in the making and his win at Ascot was very impressive. It was a slowly run affair and not many settled but the way this lad powered away was quite something and I'll be disappointed if he's beat tomorrow.
The Sandy Lane stakes looks a belter of a race at Haydock and I've tipped most of the field before. Any of them could win to be quite honest but I'm glad to see THE LIR JET returning to sprinting trips. He was a big winner for me at Ascot last year but didn't taste victory after that royal success. I feared he may just have been an early two year old but his run in the Greenham has got me back on board. I was impressed with how well he stayed that day so you can query why connections are dropping him to 6f here but if he can be let loose on the front end I think he could prove very hard to peg back.
Up at York I think DUBAI INSTINCT is worth siding with after he showed a glimpse of his old ability last time out. Mick Easterby may not be getting any younger but he certainly knows how to train a racehorse and he seems to have worked his magic with this former Brian Meehan inmate. Rated as high at 88 for his former trainer, he never did quite kick on but a spell up north may have worked the oracle as he ran very well in a hot handicap over course and distance just last week. A repeat of that will see him go close.
COUNT D'ORSAY let me down last week at York as he ran no sort of race. That was simply too bad to be true and he is much better judged on his Chester run two weeks ago. If he bounces back to that sort of form then he will be bang there.
Goodwood 2.50 – Aldaary
Haydock 3.35 – The Lir Jet
York 3.15 – Dubai Instinct
York 3.50 – Count D'orsay
