Kevin Stott’s Blog: Killybegs Warrior could fight for the win

Day three at Glorious Goodwood kicks off with Killybegs Warrior in the opener (1.50pm). I won a valuable handicap on him at Newmarket last time out and he was really tough to do so. It had rained plenty that day and he didn’t mind that whatsoever, so he should be okay with the likely testing ground. He is three from three at Newmarket’s July course, so he obviously loves that place, but he doesn’t mind coming down a hill and it might turn out that he loves Goodwood as well. He’s probably more exposed than some others in the race and he has gone up in the weights slightly, but he is in good form and he’s at a meeting that the Johnstons love to target. Hopefully, he can run another big race, and he wouldn’t be without a chance.

I have a bit of a break until I’ll get the leg up on Metahorse in the mile handicap (4.45pm). He’s a head-scratcher who has been a bit frustrating as a few times he looked like he was going to be well-beaten, but then he would run on at the finish. He doesn’t always help himself, but the step up to a mile should be beneficial. Darryll Holland is convinced that a track that is a bit quirky with a few bends will suit him better. He didn’t love Epsom, so it’s not guaranteed he’s going to love Goodwood, but he has been in good form and, once the ground levels off a bit, he should run-on nicely. He has been competitive in this grade before so he should be competitive once again, though he isn’t the easiest horse to trust.

Ornellaia is my final ride of the day and I believe she is my best chance of the week in the fillies’ maiden (5.20pm). The form from her Newmarket third has been massively boosted as the winner, Sacred Angel, has come out and won the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes since. Her debut over six furlongs was really encouraging as she ran on well at the finish despite showing a bit of greenness and immaturity early on; I feel that if I had taken the opposition on again, I would have beaten them. She steps up to seven furlongs which should definitely help her, the ground is a bit of an unknown, but she deserves to take her chance in a race like this. We feel she is the best chance of a winner for us of the week.