Goodwood Cup Guide 2021

The 7 year old staying legend has won 17 of his 28 races and has racked up nearly £3,000,000 in prize money.

He’s already won this race 4 times and started his impressive run here as a 3 year old. He was unable to capture a 4th Ascot Gold Cup last month as he sat too far off run-away winner Subjectivist.

That rival doesn’t line up here having suffered what might be a career ending injury so Stradivarius certainly looks like he can regain the Group 1 winning trend.

A long and mixed campaign last year saw him be dropped in trip and aimed at the Prix de l’arc de Triomphe. But he lacked the pace to be able to hold his position and the bottomless ground took too much out of him and he settled for 7th.

He was back to his scintillating best on seasonal reappearance at Ascot in the Sagaro Stakes and granted a clearer passage here will likely leave his run in the Gold Cup behind.

The one to beat on paper as he looks for an unbelievable 5th straight win in this race.

Andrew Balding is represented by Spanish Mission and the 5 year old has been a brilliant servant for connections.

A winner of the Yorkshire Cup and the Doncaster Cup, staying trips are certainly his bag and he ran a fantastic race when last seen in the Ascot Gold Cup.

Beating Stradivarius home, he was an impressive 3rd and was staying on well late but couldn’t get after the front two.
He likes to be held up off the pace and come with a late run so will be hoping that they go off hard in front to tee him up for a late surge.

When trained by David Simcock he only managed to beat one rival home in this race last year but has been in much better form since joining team Balding.

The most likely to trouble the odds on favourite.

The winner of last season’s British Champions’ Long Distance Cup at the end of the campaign firmly put Trueshan in the mix for a go at the staying races this season.

His dominant display over 2 miles on soft ground at Ascot in October saw him go off second favourite for the Ormonde Stakes at Chester but found the trip and course too taxing for speed to get the better of Japan.

Missing the gold cup due to the underfoot conditions, he instead tried to shoulder top weight in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, but a rating of 118 left him giving away too much weight to the rest of the field.

An out and out stayer, he’ll be praying for the rain to fall to get really competitive. If the heavens open, his price will disappear.

Mark Jonnston’s 5 year old has won more than half of his career outings. An impressive 8 wins from 14 runs has yielded 3 Group wins.

Mainly mixing it over a mile and a half to 14 furlongs since his 3 year old campaign, he came 2nd in the 2019 St Leger to Logician.

Missing the entirety of the 2020 season, Sir Ron Preistley returned to the track in a listed competition over 14 furlongs at Nottingham. Shaking off a mammoth absence to beat a relatively smart field.

He’s posted career best performances this season with an all the way victory in the Jockey Club stakes at Newmarket, to beat subsequent Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver, and another run away win in the Princess of Wales Stakes.

Scalping the exciting Al Aasy despite giving the odds on favourite 3lbs was a momentous performance.

He’s yet to try 2 miles but stays 1 mile and 6 furlongs well and has already won over that distance at Goodwood. A good each way angle for those looking to oppose the market leader.

As a 3 year old Santiago notched two group successes in his first two outings of the season. Winning the Queen’s Vase on seasonal reappearance, he got the 14 furlong trip with ease.

Dropped in trip, Santiago clung on to win the Irish Derby. Seamie Heffernan kicked for home early and used his mount's stamina to cling to classic success.

He tried his luck in this race last year but couldn’t lie up with Stradivarius or Nayef Road despite being a warm order in the market. Dropped back in trip and to his own age group, he struggled in the St Leger and only came 4th.

He’s been seen three times this season and has been well beaten in each outing. Last seen trying to get the marathon trip of the Gold Cup, he simply didn’t stay and trialled home in 7th.

Now he’s 4 years old he might suit 2 miles better. Going over 14 furlongs has looked too short and 2.5 miles looked too long. He hasn’t won since his Derby heroics but could bounce back to form here if taking to this trip.

Another Derby winner in the shape of Serpentine. A son of the late great Galileo, he recorded an impressive all the way victory in the Derby under an enterprising ride by Emmet McNamara.

Like stablemate Santiago, he hasn’t notched another win since his Derby victory. Coming 4th in the Grand Prix de Paris and 4th in the Ascot Champion Stakes rounded out his season.

Connections look to be trying to fathom out his best trip this campaign. Starting over 10 furlongs he was well beaten at the Curragh on reappearance.

We last saw the colt running in the Gold Cup where he clearly didn’t get the 2.5 mile trip.

Dropping back to 2 miles on a sharper track will suit but his stamina has yet to be confirmed past 12 furlongs. He made every yard in the Derby, so clearly has a massive engine.

Stamina queries make him hard to back here.

Donnacha O’Brien brings over his 4 year old Emperor Of The Sun off the back of an encouraging outing in the Gold Cup last month.

He had a rough first season under Donnacha as a 3 year old having moved over from Aidan O’Brien’s yard, not winning in any of his six races.

The best runs came in the Galway Handicap, where he was narrowly beaten by Princess Zoe and a 2nd to eventual St Leger winner Galileo Chrome.

This season brought about an impressive listed win as he fended off two time Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song.

Coming 5th when last seen in the Gold Cup, he made some decent late progress but wasn’t troubling the front four home.

Dropping in trip will likely suit and he’s got some decent form in the books, worth considering as an each way option.

Yet another runner for Aidan O’Brien Amhran Na Bhfiann has been quite lightly raced for his age.

Only running once as a 2 year old saw him well beaten and put away until the next season.

As a 3 year old he failed to shed his maiden tag but ran well in defeat, including coming 3rd in the Derby behind Serpentine.

He finally broke his duck this season over a mile and a half, absolutely bolting up by 13 lengths against weak opposition.

He was beaten by Emperor Of The Sun at Leopardstown before a poor run in the Gold Cup saw him come home 11th of the 12 runners.

However he did bounce back to form when easily winning a group 2 event over 14 furlongs at the Curragh at the end of last month.

He clearly didn’t stay in the Gold Cup but a trip of 2 miles looks more than realistic for him. Likely the pace setter for this race, he’ll bounce out and try and make all like he did at the Curragh.

Representing Ismail Mohammed, Away He Goes has spent most of his career running in handicaps.

Not taking to the track until being a 3 year old, he notched two wins in his first season and was only beaten by eventual St Leger winner Logician.

Well beaten in his only dip into Group company as a 4 year old, he spent the winter over in Dubai to try to regain the winning thread.

Contesting handicaps over at Meydan, he ran well under a high rating but was unable to record another win. His best run in Dubai came in the Dubai Gold Cup where he came 3rd behind Subjectivist.

Returning to England for a run in the John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes, he shaped like he needed the run off the back of a 105 day break.

He posted his career best over 2 miles and well come on bundles for his recent outing. Likely to be lacking a bit of quality to get involved here he could be one to watch for easier targets later in the season.

Mark Johnston’s charge was 2nd in this race last year but has seen his form tail off horribly since then.

Coming 3rd behind Logician in the 2019 St Leger hinted that his future could lie over further and he confirmed that promise when winning the rescheduled Sagaro Stakes last year at Newcastle.

Coming 2nd twice to Stradivarius followed. Beaten in the Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup subsequently, he looked like he could finally get his turn to get his head in front at York but was beaten by the emphatic Enbihaar.

Starting this season much the same, he was beaten by Stradivarius in the Sagaro Stakes and has been poor since. Last home in Group 2 and Group 3 events, before coming mid division in the Gold Cup.

He ran a blinder in this last year and can hopefully bounce back to that form to show what he’s capable of.

Already a big priced outsider for this race. He was highly tried when trained by Sir Michael Stoute and even came 4th (past the post) in the Long Distance cup behind Stradivarius and Kew Gardens.

But the 6 year old hasn’t won since being in handicap company right back in 2018. He gained a handicap mark that weighted him out of being competitive in that sphere, but also hasn’t been good enough to lie up in listed or group company.

He keeps finding a few too good and will likely be bringing up the rear again here.