Straight From The Trainers Mouth 2/8/12

Straight From The Trainers Mouth

Brian Meehan

SECRET SIGN (Goodwood 2.45 p.m.) Sakhee’s Secret gelding made a big jump from his debut to win nicely at Windsor. Excellent work since  shows he deserves his shot at Group 2 level.
AAIM TO PROSPER (Goodwood 3.15 p.m.) Stable favourite has made consistent progress in each of his runs since his return, the last of them warranting a 4lb official ratings rise. Always in with a chance in these Cup races and has each-way claims.
SUPERNOVA HEIGHTS (Goodwood 4.20 p.m.) Oasis Dream filly made a highly-promising debut when fourth in a traditionally-hot maiden at the Newmarket July meeting. Primed to gain a first victory in this company.
DIAMONDHEAD (Goodwood 4.55 p.m.) Needed his delayed return over an inadequate six furlongs last month at Newmarket. Better suited by this extra furlong and should get much closer to the action this time.
IGHRAA (Ffos Las 5.40 p.m.) Sharp filly seemed to find the last stage of her first try at six furlongs stretching her. The daughter of Tamayuz seems to have been found an ideal spot in this nursery.
TITLED GENT (Ffos Las 6.40 p.m.) Kheleyf colt makes his debut against a number of more experienced rivals, and in the normal manner of Manton newcomers, will benefit from the experience. That said, it would not shock us too much if he were sharp enough to go very close.
BAYAN (Ffos Las 7.45 p.m.) To this point it has been a case of so near but so far from Bayan, but this looks a great chance if he can run to his best in this company.
BORAGH WATERS (Ffos Las 8.50 p.m.) Lowly-rated on official terms, this filly still showed excessive greenness in her first handicap last week. The impression just about persists that home work is more indicative of her ability, but she needs to shape up to get anywhere near the principals.

Jeremy Noseda

2:15 Grandeur

Grandeur is a tough and consistent horse and he has shown that he acts on the track when winning there earlier in the season. Fast ground is ideal for him and Johnny Murtagh has been booked to ride.

Godolphin

3:15 Colour Vision 3/1 and Lost In The Moment 9/1

Colour Vision came back from Royal Ascot sound and healthy and he worked really well on Friday. He is stepping down in trip but was impressive over two miles at Kempton Park earlier this season and I am hopeful of another good run. Lost In The Moment finished second in this race last year, so he handles the course well. We have taken things slowly with him so far this year, running him over different distances, and I expect the return to two miles to suit him.

Michael Bell

4:55 Apostle 11/1

APOSTLE goes into his race on the back of a second at Ascot where he was given a lovely ride by Leanne Masterson to finish second. We have kept with the theory that he enjoys being ridden by lady riders and Leonna Mayor takes the mount.

5:25 Fortieth and Fifth 25/1

is looking to put his disappointing run at Sandown behind him and with conditions more in his favour we expect him to run well

Marcus Tregoning

Goodwood 3.15 ASKAR TAU 25/1

Askar Tau is in good form. Hopefully he will get his ground and run a sound race

Goodwood 3.45 HAWAAFEZ 7/2

Hawaafez has been working well. She is fresh mare and should be capable of running well in this company.

Nottingham 4.15 WATERED SILK 9/1

Watered Silk is a game and consistent performer who prefers fast ground. He has not run for a while but should run well fresh.

Richard Hannon

2:15 Hefner 12/1 and Pilgrims Rest 16/1

Hefner is on a roll just now. He won really well at Ascot last time and, though now 3lb higher, is not out of it, while Pilgrims Rest won his first two races this season and has since been beaten only two lengths in a couple of competitive handicaps at Ascot and Newmarket

2:45 Master Of War 11/4

We have always liked Master of War, who has shown that he can go on any ground. It was fast when he broke his maiden at Haydock and soft when he won the Rose Bowl at Newbury, and in between he ran much better than his finishing position (ninth) suggests in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot as he was drawn one and was away from the main action. He won't be far away.

4:20 Botanica & Heading North

Botanica, who runs in the fillies maiden, looked as if she wanted a step up to seven (furlongs) last time, so both she had Heading North, who shaped well first time out should run well but, Botanica, who runs in the fillies maiden, looked as if she wanted a step up to seven (furlongs) last time, so both she had Heading North, who shaped well first time out should run well but, Shamaal Nibras ran a super race against what looked a Group horse in Trade Commissioner at Salisbury, it is a bit of a downer getting that 15 draw in the 7f handicap.

4:55 Shamaal Nibras 11/2

Shamaal Nibras ran a super race against what looked a Group horse in Trade Commissioner at Salisbury, it is a bit of a downer getting that 15 draw in the 7f handicap.

Richard Fahey

2:15 Chapter Seven 25/1

I'm trying a few things with Chapter Seven in the Betfred The Bonus King Handicap, the opening race at Goodwood on Thursday. We're sticking cheek pieces on him and stepping him up in trip. I'm a bit worried about his temperament but the owner won't let me geld him so I'm hoping the headgear will make him concentrate a bit more. He needs to.

2:45 Euxton Hall 16/1 & Ginger Goose 20/1

Euxton Hall has been a fraction disappointing but he runs in the Audi Richmond Stakes. He needs to step up and find 15 pounds on what he's shown so far but at home he works well and better ground will help him. It will be interesting to see how he runs.

4:55 Alejandro  18/1

I'd have given Alejandro a small chance in the Tatler Handicap as he's very tough and very genuine but I'd be a little worried about his draw in 11. He could run well at a big price though if he gets the breaks.

5:25 Hurler and Farmer 16/1

Hurler And Farmer is quite a nice horse who makes his seasonal reappearance in the Betfred Mobile Lotto Handicap. It's just a question of whether he's experienced enough to organise himself and overcome what is a bad draw. I hope he'll cope and run well.

Ryan Moore

14:15 Goodwood - Opinion

Drawn ok in five, is a horse I like and the form of his win over 1m1f at Sandown last time is working out really well. The runner-up won next time; the third, Hefner, won his next two and re-opposes here; the fourth was just touched off by Prussian last time and the fifth won his next outing too. So a 6lb rise for that is fair enough. But what worries me is the drying ground. He won in the soft last time, but disappointed on fast ground over course and distance here previously. Any rain would be a big help to his chances. The horse I like in here is Asatir. I rode in the race he won at Windsor last time and they went at it from a long way out. He may have only won by a head and is 5lb higher here, but I think you can mark his performance up for the manner of the win. Frankie has his work cut out after being drawn in 17 of 18 though.

14:45 Goodwood - Richmond Stakes (no ride)

I don't have a ride. But it doesn't look a great Richmond, so several of these will be fancying their chances, such as July Stakes third Ahern and the beaten Norfolk favourite Cay Verde. But I hope Master Of War wins; he looked good when winning a listed race at Newbury last time and doesn't have too much to find to win this.

15:15 Goodwood - Simenon

I am surprised that this race has attracted such a strong field, and it looks like the best Goodwood Cup for a while. I normally would be fancying my chances of winning an average renewal of this with Simenon after his Royal Ascot exploits. But as it is I see Timeform have him with a stone to find on their top-rated Saddler's Rock, presumably on his Doncaster defeat of Opinion Poll last season. And I also see a lot of people are latching on Saddler's Rock to reverse Ascot form with Colour Vision. I personally am not so sure. Yes, Saddler's Rock pulled far too hard at Ascot and will be suited by the faster ground, but not many stayers can quicken the way Colour Vision did when he went past me on Red Cadeaux at Kempton earlier in the season. He has got a change of gear that perhaps Saddlers Rock lacks, and that could be the difference between the pair again. And the turn of foot Simenon showed in winning both his races at Ascot is one of his strengths too, as is the way he travels powerfully through a race. That combination will hopefully see him improve again here, enough to trouble the front two in the market.

15:45 Goodwood - Estimate

Again, this looks a far stronger Group 3 race than usual. Marcus Tregoning loves a winner at Goodwood and he looks to have laid Hawaafez out for this since winning at Newbury in May. And the likes of Wild Coco could prove dangerous if returning to her best form. But I think the biggest danger to Estimate could come from Midnight Soprano. She beat Saddler's Rock back in June and, while her winning run came to an end at the Curragh last time, I think the winner Hartani is a good horse who wouldn't look out of place in the St Leger field. But I have to be hopeful on Estimate. As I thought she might, she improved a good deal for the step up to 2m when winning the Queen's Vase in the soft at Royal Ascot. She is clearly progressive but if you were looking for possible negatives it is the step down in trip and the faster ground. But she has pleased us since Ascot and has a favourite's chance.

16:20 Goodwood - Heading North

He makes a quick reappearance after a very promising debut run at Newmarket last month, considering she looked green and in need of the experience there. That level of form already puts her in the mix here. But then you see she is drawn 19 of 20, and the confidence starts to go. With so many debutantes and unexposed fillies, there are clearly any number of potential winners in here but I think Supernova Heights is possibly the one to beat; she was a good fourth at Newmarket first time up, is bred to like the step up to 7f and the stable's juveniles often improve a good deal from their debuts.

16:55 Goodwood - Campanology

Was entered up over 1m at Newmarket on Saturday but was pulled out overnight. Presumably all is well with him now though. And that temporary setback could work in his favour, as all his best form has been over today's 7f, not a mile. So, just 4lb higher than when beating a subsequent winner at Newmarket last time, he has chances on the book. Well, he had a lot more of a chance until he was drawn 16 of 16; an obvious and considerable negative. Similar comments apply to Shamaal Nibraas. He clearly bumped into one in Trade Commissioner at Salisbury last time and looks the best horse in here and the one to beat, but the draw has done him no favours either in 15.

17:25 Goodwood - Maria's Choice

I was quite liking his chances in this 1m3f handicap until I saw what mark he had been given for winning at Wolverhampton. It was only a modest maiden, so I certainly don't think he hasn't been done that many favours with an opening mark of 83. But let's hope I am wrong. I didn't ride him at Wolverhampton but I did on his debut, where the heavy ground clearly wasn't to his liking at Sandown. Don't get me wrong - he is a nice colt, and showed that last time, and he clearly has scope for a lot of improvement. But he will need to progress to follow up in this competitive handicap, which sees several progressive last time out winners line up, as well as lightly-raced improvers such as Harlestone Wood.