Torcedor for Goodwood Cup
CONCERN: FAVOURITE HAD A TOUGH LAST RACE AND PULLED UP LAME Harrington’s stayer has improved and has just a length to find on Stradivarius.
Torcedor has to be the value call in the Qatar Goodwood Cup on today's opening day of the Glorious Goodwood festival. The race will, of course, pivot around the fortunes of Stradivarius, last year's progressive winner who added the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot to what has become a starspangled CV. Stradivarius will be awfully difficult to pass, but he did have a tough race at Ascot and returned from the fray a lame horse.
Moreover, he was also in receipt of 0.5kg from the main protagonists in the Gold Cup. And in a race that could go down to smallest of margins, Torcedor is quietly fancied to stop the bonus-hunting Stradivarius in his tracks.
Jessica Harrington's stayer looked a much-improved operator in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot in May, when he ably drew five lengths clear of a decent field. That form was good, but few expected him to seriously trouble Stradivarius, Vazirabad and Order Of St George in the Gold Cup. But the gelded son of Fastnet Rock made a mockery of his 14-1 starting price as he rallied gamely to finish third.
Torcedor had old foe Order Of St George well cooked, while he was only a head behind Vazirabad and a length in arrears of Stradivarius. Harrington is unfazed by running him at the capricious Goodwood circuit, while there is sufficient evidence to indicate that he, too, has the pace to win a top-level race over 3200m.
The case for the defence is also emboldened by the fact he was 0.50 lengths in front of Stradivarius in a soft-ground Long Distance Cup at Ascot last autumn.
Dark Vision can make a seamless transition into Group 2 company by winning the Qatar Vintage Stakes. Mark Johnston's strapping young colt is unbeaten in two starts and looked the real deal at York when he won a strong novice stakes by 2.25 lengths.
Indeed, the form from that race was pleasingly franked back on the Knavesmire on Saturday as the third horse home, He'Zanarab, won a similar contest with a touch of class.
Suedois, from David O'Meara's yard, is underrated and gets the nod in the Qatar Lennox Stakes. The Group 1-winning seven-yearold was narrowly defeated in the Summer Mile at Ascot last time, but that should have him spot-on for this assignment. - Press Association