Straight From The Trainers Mouth 1/8/12

Straight From The Trainers Mouth

Richard Fahey

2:00 Mica Mika

 On to Wednesday and we're having a punt with Mica Mika by running him over this trip of two miles and five furlongs in the Goodwood Handicap.He's a very relaxed horse, I just thought the handicapper was very tough on him for winning a bad race at Chester this year. He's run all right a couple of times and if a horse is going to stay it'll be him as he does relax, but not many flat horses get this trip and it's a watching brief. If he does get home, he's got a small each-way chance.
3:10 Gabriel 50/1
There's not a lot we can say about the Qipco Sussex Stakes as I'd be a lunatic to say I was going to go and beat Frankel with Gabrial. There's plenty of prize money on offer and it'd be nice to finish second, although he does have to improve to do that. It's fantastic to have a runner in a race like this but there's not a horse in the world who looks like he can beat Frankel, so we're playing for second.
4:55 She’s A Character
She's A Character is drawn low in the British Stallion Studs Turf Club E.B.F. Fillies' Handicap although she does like to drop in so she will need some luck-in-running. She's a funny little mare who does her own thing and pops up every now and again, although a drop of rain would be good for her.
5:30 Common Touch
I was extremely disappointed with Common Touch at York last time, he came there and looked like running a big race but flattened out. He just got beat at Goodwood last year so we were keen to bring him back for the Harwoods Racing Club Handicap as it's a horses-for-courses track and his draw in five is a huge advantage. He'll have to bounce back to his best to be competitive but it wouldn't surprise me if he does now he drops back to seven. We're hoping he runs into a place but he does have a chance of winning too.

Brian Meehan
WHIPPER’S BOY (Goodwood 2.35 p.m.) Whipper gelding came from a long way back to outclass a field of maidens at Epsom two weeks ago. This represents a steep upward curve, but an excellent home worker, he could well be equal to it. Good each-way candidate.
FLYWHEEL (Goodwood 4.20 p.m.) Teofilo filly made a promising start when in mid-division on her Lingfield debut. This is traditionally a strong maiden, but she is sure to improve on that introduction and can be competitive.

Charlie Hills
4:55 Amber Silk
 You can ignore Amber Silk's last run as she came back sick. She seems to really enjoy Goodwood and we would hope she has a good chance

Sir Henry Cecil       
3:10 Frankel 1/20
FRANKEL will face just three rivals when he seeks to defend his Group 1 Sussex Stakes crown at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday. As well as stable-mate Bullet Train, the highest-rated racehorse in the world must face Godolphin's Farhh and the Richard Fahey-trained Gabrial. It is the second year in succession that Frankel will part of a quartet in the Sussex Stakes, having defeated Canford Cliffs in the same race year last July. Frankel will be seeking his 12th straight win and will start a red-hot favourite on the back of his extraordinary 11-length demolition of the field in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. The Warren Place team have been happy with him since, although Frankel will not be saddled for his latest assignment by trainer Sir Henry Cecil. Sir Henry explained: "Unfortunately, I won't be at Goodwood on Wednesday as I have been undergoing some treatment. Although I am able to train my horses I'm not quite fit to go racing yet, but I hope to be fully recovered in the near future. "Everything has gone as we could have wished with Frankel since the Queen Anne Stakes. We gave him an easy time immediately after Royal Ascot before bringing him back into fast work. "He has pleased us with his work and is going to the Sussex Stakes in good shape. We are taking one race at a time with him and are hoping that he can extend his unbeaten record

David Simcock
2:35 Birdman
The son of Danehill Dancer went down narrowly to Olympic Glory in the Superlative Stakes at the July Meeting and is hoping to go one better.
He will lock horns again with that rival and also with Maxentius who finished third at Newmarket. A field of 10 will head to post and Jamie Spencer will be aboard Birdman.
4:55 Princess Caetani
Princess Caetani looks to have a good chance in the 1m1f fillies’ handicap. She won a handicap at Salisbury well on her last start and has been given a favourable draw in four.

Roger Varian
4:55 Oojooba
Roger said of the Monsun filly: "I think nine furlongs is her ideal trip and she has been training well. Unfortunately she has a wide draw to contend with."

Godolphin
3:10 Farhh 12/1

I am looking forward to Farhh taking his chance against Frankel. He is in good form and I don’t think he will be inconvenienced by coming back in trip to a mile. He is a colt I like and we will see how he gets on.

14:35 Tha’ir 8/1 & Artigiano 11/1

Artigiano is in good form and has not done anything wrong in his races. You cannot judge him on his last run because the ground was heavy. He continues to please me and Frankie knows him well so we are looking forward to a good performance. MAZ

I am very happy with Tha’ir. He worked on Saturday and pleased me. He is ready to go and improving. SBS

Jermey Noseda

5:30 Triple Charm 12/1

She seems in good order but it is a tough race and she has been given a wide draw in 17.

Richard Hannon

2:35 Olympic Glory 7/2

ULIE WOOD, Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes all stood on the podium holding bottles of the sponsors champagne after Chandlery’s victory in the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes on day two of Glorious Goodwood last year, so we are hoping that it will be a case of deja vu tomorrow, with the toast this time around being the appropriately-named Olympic Glory. “I applied for the name a long time ago, and it would be marvellous if the horse we chose to carry the torch happened to win during the Olympics,” said Julie, and the boss thinks that there is a good chance that the dream could become reality. He said: "Chandlery came on here after finishing second in the Superlative, but Olympic Glory actually won the Newmarket race, which means that he has to shoulder a 3lb penalty.“Obviously, giving weight to nine other winners won't be easy, but we think that Olympic Glory, who is the only one with course form, having bolted up in his maiden here first time out, is better than he looked at Newmarket as he had a hiccup at the start of that week and was probably just short of his best. “He coped with that awful ground in the Superlative, but this better surface should suit him well. His Coventry Stakes second was a super run, and we are very hopeful.”

3:45 Rule Book 8/1 & Misdemeanour 18/1

We launch a twin-attack in the 12-furlong handicap, and the boss added: “Rule Book went up 7lb for winning a head at Salisbury, which looked a bit harsh, but he is an improving type and Hughesie has chosen him over Misdemeanour (Pat Dobbs), who got hit with another 4lb despite being beaten a neck at Newbury.”

David Pipe
2:00 Beyond 10/1
Beyond makes his first flat appearance since finishing a seventh in the Cesarewitch last October and he should be well suited by this marathon 2m5f trip.  He will be partnered by Willy Twiston-Davies who is very good value for his 7lbs claim – that is plenty of weight to take off, particularly over such a trip.

Ryan Moore

14:00 Goodwood - Romeo Montague

Appeared to show improved form when third to me on Simenon in the Queen Alexandra at Ascot - he caught my eye in that race - and I was back on board (I rode him over 1m4f at Epsom earlier in the season) when he confirmed that impression in a 2m handicap at Ascot last time. This race is much tougher - there look to be some likely types in here from some of the jumps boys, such as Nicky Henderson's recent hurdles winner Cape Express - but he has only been raised 3lb and we knows he gets this trip well enough. I give him a chance.

14:35 & 15:10 Goodwood - Vintage & Susses Stakes (no rides)

I don't have a ride in either race but you don't need me or anyone else to tell you what will happen in the Sussex Stakes. But I have to be honest and say, for me, that it is a bit depressing to see only four line up in the race, even if one of them is Frankel. It will be great for those who want to see Frankel do a lap of honour - and he is a brilliant racehorse - but it is undeniably disappointing in every other respect. The Sussex Stakes is the race to win at Goodwood and for the second year running we have no runners. As for the Vintage, I think Olympic Glory is the one to beat. Ghurair was impressive in the soft at Newmarket last time, and was still green there, but it is a big step up from maiden to Group 2 company.

15:45 Goodwood - Swnymor

Has clearly done nothing wrong in his four star to dates, and he ran well off this mark when second to Last Shadow in the heavy at Windsor last time. Hopefully there is more to come and it remains to be seen if this presumably better ground also can see him move forward, as he has raced on ground no better than good to soft as yet. In fact, I think he will go well if it is faster ground; I rode in that Windsor race and I liked the way he travelled. He does needs to improve though as there are no end of fast-progressing recent winners in here, including Mawaqeet. He won well last time and has chances off a mark of 87.

16:20 Goodwood - Woodlandsway

Pearl Sea sets the standard on form, and Woodlandsway has a fair bit to find with her, and I dare say that a lot of these unexposed and unraced fillies will be fancied too. But my mount certainly improved a good deal from her debut when fourth at Ascot last time, at one stage possibly looking the winner before Diaminda picked up. If progressing again, she would have place claims maybe.

16:55 Goodwood - Keene Dancer

Won well for me twice last month over 1m at Windsor and picked up really well to win a handicap by 2 ¼ lengths last time. I don't think that was the strongest of races so a 7lb rise makes life a lot tougher for me in a more far competitive race. But she is coming to herself and progressing well, and the step up to 1m1f won't be a problem either. She has won on fast ground but I think any more rain would be a big help to her chances, as she loved the heavy ground at Windsor and her dam Kinnaird loved soft ground too.

17:30 Goodwood - Redvers

Let's hope that he can keep it in the family as my sister Hayley won on him at Ascot last time. A 6lb rise for a nose win is plenty enough and he is not ideally drawn in 14 but I know the horse - I finished third on him at Newmarket in June - and he should be suited the conditions. Has a chance in another competitive and big field Goodwood handicap, though I suppose it is a slight worry that he has run below par in his two starts here.