The first race of the day is the Theo Fennell Oak Tree Stakes and on a day that offers four Group races we kickstart with a big field one over seven furlongs.
JUBILOSO is our selection and she is clearly held in high regard by connections after being sent to a Group 1 on just her third start.
She was far from disgraced in that company and this drop back into a Group 3 will be much easier, along with the fact she gets a healthy 6lb allowance from the older runners.
Back to Back Group 3 contests on day four at Goodwood and the Bonhams Thoroughbred stakes sees a strong field of runners go to post in the contest over a mile.
MOMKIN has been unlucky at times in several warm-looking races, though his best effort to date came in a similar event in the shape of the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on reappearance.
He was only just denied on that occasion, despite having little room when coming with a run, and although this race demands more his recent efforts have suggested he is well up to it.
The booking of Oisin Murphy is a big plus and conditions should be ideal.
With this race looking arguably one of the toughest races of the afternoon from a punting perspective we have gone for two pokes E/W.
DARK VISION won at this meeting last term, and he represents a yard who are not only well amongst the winners here, year in year out, but also a yard who are in fine-form currently.
It could be argued this trip isn’t his best after shaping in need of further on recent starts but he did all of his winning over much shorter as a 2yo.
WHAT’S THE STORY also makes plenty of appeal arriving off the back of a sound effort last York earlier in the month, is well-drawn in Stall 2, and has already tasted success this season in a similar big-field event back in May.
The feature contest of the day is the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes and this looks to be going only one way and that is to BATTAASH who is the clear top-rated in the field at 123.
His nearest rival El Astronaute has been in great order, though he has a hefty 12lbs to find with the Charlie Hills runner so it will take a big amount of improvement or the hot-fancy to have an ‘off-day’ to pose any sort of problem.
He has also been successful in the previous two renewals of this, and after showing he still remains as his old self with two sound efforts following wind surgery he could well make it a hat-trick of victories.
Mark Johnston often targets these sort of handicaps at this meeting and is yet to be successful in this race, though he heads into this with a trio of live chances and ETON COLLEGE is our selection.
Our pick and Praxeology are closely-matched on form, though the latter's sole win in this sphere came with significant ease in the ground.
Our fancy arrives seeking a hat-trick after two promising victories on quick ground and looks capable of going well again.
Sir Michael Stoute has trained the winner of this in the last three renewal and could well make it four on the bounce with last years winner MIRAGE DANCER.
This son of Frankel has raced to a good standard on all 3 starts this term, winning well on seasonal return and running two solid races in defeat when runner-up against solid opposition.
Desert Encounter did shape well when finishing only half a length behind our selection in the Princess Of Wales’s earlier this month, and could well serve it up to the defending champion but we still feel it is hard to look past the warm-favourite.
In he lucky last we have sided with HARROVIAN who has only had three career outings but does hold some solid enough form in the book.
His half-a-length debut second has receive a boost since with the winner making the frame in his next two outings in similar company to this.
He was then just held in second to a promising stablemate on the all-weather, before hacking up for a 7-length success at Pontefract over 1m 2f.
This trip and rise in class does demand more, but he certainly shaped as though he would get every yard earlier in the month and Frankie Dettori in the saddle is certainly something to note.
