8
JACOBS
RACING AHEADISSUE 178Paul Jacobssays the Ascot Cup runner-up is poised for revenge
dee ex bee can
get it right at
Goodwood
T
he summer months of racing
in the UK should be sign-
posted by a notice that
screams out ‘Mark Johnston
must be followed’.
It seems that the master of Middle-
ham has peaked earlier than usual and
flying into the Glorious Goodwood
meeting his strike rate at the begin-
ning of July was just shy of 26% which
is incredible when you consider the
amount of runners he saddles.
Goodwood should once again prove
to be a big earner for the Scotsman
and although I am tempted to back
Southern France in the Goodwood
Cup after his simply horrendous plac-
ing in the Hardwicke Stakes, I strongly
fancy DEE EX BEE to land this two
mile event, although had it still been
run over two and a half miles I would
have been investing my shirt and all on
him.
I have watched the Ascot Gold Cup
again and again and I am sure that if
Silvestre de Sousa had his time to ride
in the race again he would have set
quicker splits from some way out.
If you watch the final quarter of a
mile, Stradivarius wasn’t pulling away
from the second and third and I think
this represents a golden opportunity
for the Northern raider to make his
mark at the highest level in the lung-
bursting ranks.
Many consider Goodwood to be a
sharp track and that is duly noted over
five and six furlongs, but if you walk
the course beforehand you will know
from a mile and a quarter upwards
that stiff climb down the far side is
very much against the grain and only
when you have negotiated that uphill
experience do you get some relief as
you run back down the straight for
two furlongs before a small levelling
out and then another gradual climb to
the line.
All Dee Ex Bee does is grind out his
races and if SDS manages to up the
gallop some way out from the foot of
the uphill journey then I suspect that
even over the bare two miles he could
run the finish out of the Ascot Gold
Cup hero.
The Sussex Stakes market has seen
an almighty change in the last week
with Prix Jean Prat hero TOO DARN
HOT the subject of a substantial move
from as high as 5/1 into 9/4.
Gosden made no bones about it that
he was trying to rush his star three-
year-old back into action this summer
when he first had to side step the
2,000 Guineas, didn’t stay the 10f+ of
the Dante and then was still not at the
top of his game for the St James’
Palace where lack of stamina could
also have been an issue.
But, on my private ratings, he left
that last run behind to the tune of 9lbs
when bouncing back at Deauville and
fast ground on this sharp track should
see him double up using his high cruis-
ing speed and tasty turn of foot. I
make Phoenix of Spain his biggestdanger if he too returns to his best
form of the Irish 2,000 Guineas and I
am pre-supposing that Jamie Spencer
will be told to allow the giant grey to
bowl along in front and try and take
the sting out of the favourite’s turn of
foot.
I am hoping Aidan O’Brien makes
the right call this time around and runs
HERMOSA over the 10 furlongs of the
Nassau Stakes, while granted a fair
draw my choice in the Golden Mile
Handicap would be NEW GRADUATE,
left on a mark of 105 after running Mat-
terhorn to two lengths in the Listed
Midsummer Stakes at Windsor.
If there is any semblance of give in
the ground for York’s Ebor meeting
then the highly progressive SANGAR-
IUS looks an atomic piece of each-way
value for the Juddmonte International.
Sir Michael Stoute’s charge relished
the juice in the ground when running
away with the Hampton Court at the
Royal meeting and although he would
need a career best by some way to
make his mark in this G1 I think he has
the potential granted those conditions
again to see off the likes of Crystal
Ocean, Magical and even the mighty
Enable. His current odds of 16/1 look
huge each-way value.
In the biggest betting race of the
meeting, the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap, I
am a huge fan of BEN VRACKIE and
fancy that the Gosden charge is well
worth another chance in this hugely
valuable contest.RA