Champions of both codes due winners at Glorious Goodwood
Published:Nicky Henderson and Richard Hannon are champion trainers on the national hunt and flat scenes respectively and both look to have superb chances of adding to their personal hauls of Glorious Goodwood winners on day two of this year’s meeting.
Nicky Henderson has struck for the national hunt boys twice in the last nine runnings of this marathon handicap and his Lieutenant Miller is fancied to improve upon his third in the 2m4f Ascot Stakes last month off just a 2lb higher mark.
He had to work hard early to find a decent position off his wide draw that day and afforded some more cover – which should be his if jockey Tom Queally desires it from his stall one berth – he can reach the front later and improve upon that performance.
John Gosden’s Excess Knowledge is the least exposed colt in this field and he was doing all his best business at the end of 1m2f last time out, behind previously Group 1-placed older horses Mandour and Afsare.
The step up to 1m4f looks sure to be to his liking and being by Monsun any more precipitation will only be a boon to his chances.
Dawn Approach is unbeaten in career eight runs over 1m or shorter, but has never come closer to losing that record than when ran to a short head by Toronado at Royal Ascot.
There will be those that feel the latter can improve past him here, but whereas Toronado arrived at the Royal meeting having been rested since the 2000 Guineas won by his rival, Dawn Approach had taken in a somewhat harrowing Derby failure in the meantime, not being confirmed to run at Ascot until very late on.
With his half-siblings Talent and Libertarian an Oaks winner and a Derby runner up over Epsom’s undulations this term, Jim Bolger’s colt seems more likely to handle the uneven peaks and troughs of Goodwood and can stamp his authority once more, thanks to an uninterrupted prep.
Coventry Stakes silver medallists have a fair record in this Group 2 affair, with Olympic Glory and Xtension going one better after Ascot disappointment in recent years, but Toormore is preferred to this year’s nearly man Parbold thanks to his trainer’s superb recent record in this race.
Richard Hannon has taken the last three runnings with horses who had several runs under their belts in advance of lining up, so the fact that he sends Toormore here off the back of a solitary maiden win speaks volumes.
He may have beat the second Ertijaal by just a neck on that occasion, but the pair were seven lengths clear and the latter scored by six lengths on his next outing.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
