Nick Luck’s blog: It could be a day for upsets

Heading into day 4 and all eyes will be on Battaash as he attempts to make it five wins in the King George but there are few throughout the day that have caught Nick Luck’s eye at prices.

Goodwood

JUST HUBERT is taken to repeat last year’s triumph in the opening staying handicap at Goodwood on Friday (1.50pm) at 10/1. He is able to race off a lower mark than 12 months ago and gets a further break with Ray Dawson’s claim. That’s because he’s not been running all that well, but the ground has simply been too firm twice, while he ran perfectly respectably in midfield in the Northumberland Plate.

TACTICAL is an each way play as a value alternative to the likely very short priced Baaeed in the Thoroughbred Stakes (2.25pm) at 11/1. Ascot was a bit of a mess for this horse, trapped very deep on the track and a long way out of his ground. He is not certain to be suited by a mile, but is well worth a try at it on pedigree and is classy enough that he should at least reach the frame at a price if he does for unstoppable connections.

RHOSCOLYN has been a busy boy, but he’s got a lovely profile for the Golden Mile (3.00pm) at 11/2. First, he keeps on improving, and is now clearly a stakes class performer judged on his excellent second at Pontefract last weekend. In addition, he has bags of tactical speed from the gate, which should allow him to get a lovely position from a fair draw under Oisin Murphy (hardly a negative in itself). As the lone three-year-old, he gets a handy weight for age allowance thrown into the mix and having already proved himself in tough races against more experienced rivals, he has loads going for him.

DRAGON SYMBOL can have his say in the King George Stakes (3.35pm) at 5/2. Taking the balance of his form, he may just have his ideal ground conditions for the first time, while a drop back to five furlongs may not be a disadvantage. Add in the three-year-old allowance, and there’s a case there already. But what about Battaash? My issue for him here is that he could be in the wrong part of the track while the race develops more towards the stands side. The selection should be prominent up the rail and get a nice lead into the race from Ornate before finishing off strongly.

ALOUNAK might be the answer to a tough looking Glorious Stakes (4.10pm) at 8/1. Given that we cannot be sure what to expect of Mogul, this looks ripe for a minor upset. Alounak was a pretty smart globe trotter when trained in Germany, but looks just to have found his mojo again for his new yard judged on his romp in the Old Newton Cup last time. He needs every bit of that again, but his old ability clearly remains intact, and he’s been Group One placed in his time.

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