Steve Ryder is back with three tips for today's action.
13:50 Goodwood
ATALANTA'S BOY (best priced at 12/1) has a good record at Goodwood with five wins from nine runs over this course and distance. His latest victory came in this race last season off a mark of 93 and he has now dropped back down to that mark following three below par runs since. Connections have moved the seven-year-old gelding from David Menuisier to Martin Smith and this will have been an obvious target for his stable debut.
Recent course and distance winner Many A Star looks the biggest danger but the handicapper has raised him 2lbs for that head success and that will make this more difficult. Atalanta’s Boy is well handicapped based on his victory last season and will hopefully be revitalised by a stable switch and I expect him to outrun his odds.
15:00 Sunday
The form of the Alan King stable is a slight concern for backers of PARADIAS (best priced at 9/2) but he looks sure to run well following his good run at this course last time. The three-year-old has consistent form figures of 24323162 including a win at Yarmouth in June over 1m1f. The gelding finished only a neck behind Caius Chorister last time over 1m3f at Goodwood with the pair pulling 4 ½ lengths clear of the third.
Caius Chorister was completing a five-timer that day and has boosted that form since with a 2nd placed finish in the Melrose Handicap at York and he is now rated 10lbs higher. The handicapper has raised Paradias 6lbs for his latest effort but that seems fair given the form boost from Caius Chorister and he should run well with Rossa Ryan, who rode him to finish 2nd on his reappearance, taking over from the injured James Doyle.
16:45 Goodwood
The Roger Teal trained GERT LUSH (best priced at 7/1) comes into this race in good form and she should run well off the same mark. She outran odds of 50/1 to finish a close 3rd at Newbury on her penultimate start off a mark of 61 before finishing 2nd at Nottingham last time off the same mark. The five-year-old was a course and distance winner last season off a mark of 66 under Megan Jordan and the rider gets back on board today.
The handicapper has left Gert Lush unchanged on a mark of 61 so she is well handicapped based on her course and distance victory last season and I expect her to run well once again with four places on offer.
