Glorious Goodwood & Galway Gambles - 200 years of the Goodwood Cup

Crockford will be on course today to celebrate 200 years of the Goodwood Cup and will be casting his eye over a brilliant Ladies Day card and competitive Galway Hurdle.

This year's 200th renewal of the Goodwood Cup sees an excellent array of stayers competing for success on the Sussex Downs. The key to the race is Royal Ascot as the main contenders Colour Vision, Saddlers Rock and Simenon all had their last races there. Colour Vision fought out a close finish where Saddlers Rock looked dangerous and given now the change in ground in his favour he may today have the upper hand.  Mullins announced after Simenon's two Royal Ascot wins that he might even miss a day of the Galway Festival to visit Sussex - This is unheard of and Crockford thinks it will be a massive indicator if he follows this promise through. In the race after the Cup (Lillie Langtry Stakes) HM The Queen's Estimate may also prove to be a royal sweetheart, when she hopes to follow up on her Queen's Vase win.

As we start day four of Galway Week, Dermot Weld has already amassed six winners and looks good to add to his total again today. The Galway Hurdle like yesterday's Plate looks far to competitive to call with quality horses a plenty in the field. JP McManus appears to again have a strong hand and as with yesterday it is not always the most favoured who will figure the most prominently in the finish.

Crockford's Dead Cert - Yellow Rosebud (3.35 Galway Festival)
The King of Galway (Weld) warned us at the weekend that this filly was one of his strongest chances of the week. Having won earlier this season and last run in the Irish Guineas this listed contest looks well within her scope.

Crockford's Whisper - Wrotham Heath (2.15 Glorious Goodwood e/w)
Sir Henry Cecil, Tom Queally and Prince Abdulla have had an excellent Goodwood so far and this colt could continue that vein in the first on Ladies Day. Having won on Derby Day at Epsom he ran too fast at Royal Ascot to last home. Back at one mile two furlongs on good ground he looks likely to return to his form at good each way odds of around 8/1.

Archer's Selection - Saddler's Rock (3.15 Glorious Goodwood)
Archer would have admired the courage and choice of Dettori when he selected Colour Vision for the Ascot Gold Cup, but sentiment would not get in his way in choosing his ride for a big race. As an immaculate judge of form and ground he would have looked beyond the Ascot winner today and chosen the third.

Crockford's Glorious Goodwood Gambles:
2.15 Wrotham Heath (e/w)
2.45 Master of War
3.15 Saddler's Rock
3.45 Estimate and Midnight Soprano (e/w)
4.20 Botanica and Rashfa (e/w)
4.55 Arnold Lane (e/w), Shamaal Nibraas (e/w) and Campanalogy (e/w)
5.25 Harlestone Wood (e/w)

Crockford's Galway Gambles:
1.50 Force of Habit
2.25 Imperial Shabra
3.00 Font of Wisdom
3.35 Yellow Rosebud
4.10 Letherbelucky
4.50 Captain Cee Bee (e/w), Plan A (e/w) and Lexi's Boy (e/w)
5.30 Call Me Bubbles