Jane Mangan
Jane Mangan’s William Hill Blog: Wednesday’s Best Bets from Goodwood and Galway
William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is back with her best bets across Wednesday’s racing at Goodwood and Galway.
Wednesday, Goodwood
The Oaktree Stakes (3.00pm) for the fillies is a fascinating contest, with the five-year-olds taking on the younger guns. Really trying to re-establish herself is ZANTHOS. Having been so impressive in the Rockfel last year, she didn’t quite get over the mile in the French 1,000 Guineas on her first start this season. She was subsequently dropped back in trip to six furlongs at Royal Ascot, where she never looked comfortable. The tongue-strap is now applied to this €1,000,000 proposition, whose two-year-old form is too strong to ignore. I think this trip might just prove ideal, and she’s also dropping down two grades in class, so I think she’ll bounce right back.
The Molecomb (3.35pm) looks a fantastic race, and I like Nigel Tinkler’s EL FLORIDITA. I thought his run in behind Orthodox in the Norfolk Stakes was a real eye-catcher at 150/1, having won a pretty average maiden at Redcar in May. Just over a month on, this guy won’t be out of place. He’s not from a big, fancy outfit, but that run at Ascot is too strong to ignore. El Floridita to down the Kings and Queens in the Molecomb.
It is round three for Bow Echo and Gstaad in the Sussex Stakes (4.10pm), but this time around they are meeting the older horses for the first time, and that may derail them for once. Bow Echo remains unbeaten and Gstaad is getting closer, but despite having to give them eight pounds for their age, I think OPERA BALLO is going to be really well suited by Goodwood. It is a very stiff mile with an uphill finish, and I don’t think he was well suited when having to force the issue at Royal Ascot last time. When he made all in the Sandown mile at the beginning of the year, I thought that was his best performance to date, looking like a true Group 1 colt in the making.
I think William Buick can go forward in the running and really test the younger guns. While Puerto Rico and Dorset may well be making the pace, William Buick will be alive to that fact. Opera Ballo might just have the measure of the three-year-olds. We had a surprise here last year with Qirat, and Baaeed beat the three-year-olds in 2022, so I think it might be Opera Ballo’s day to teach the youngsters a lesson.
Wednesday, Galway
There’s an unusual competitor in MR HOLLYWOOD in the Maiden Hurdle (5.05pm) at Galway. Last seen running a huge race in the Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot, he was a useful runner on the Flat in France for Henri-Alex Pantall and ran creditably on his sole start over hurdles at Killarney back in May. He’s not looking the most natural jumper, but he certainly knows enough to get from A to B. His Flat rating and recent run at Royal Ascot tell me that he’ll be well up to winning a maiden hurdle of this class.
I like SAMBA TRAIN in the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (6.05pm). She’s a dual bumper winner who made a winning start over hurdles at Killarney over a longer trip than she’s encountering this time round. She’s got a great seven-pound claimer helping her with the weight concession, and I think the fact that they’ve had some rain in the west of Ireland will enhance her chances. Samba Train is a very consistent mare, and I think she’s going to run a big race.
The Galway Plate (6.40pm) is a fabulous race worth a ton of money, and it would be a huge story if Eoin Griffin and Ricky Doyle were to win the race with OL MAN DINGLE. A dual chase winner last season, he resumed winning ways with arguably a career-best at Kilbeggan six weeks ago. He’s a horse that’s adaptable regarding tactics and shouldn’t be inconvenienced by this big field. Running off a mark of 145, I think he can be very competitive. You need luck in running to be in with a chance of winning such a big-field handicap, but Ol Man Dingle has the experience, and he’s chasing his seventh career win.
