Goodwood day two: Page Fuller of RaceiQ shares her best bets

It’s day two of the Goodwood Festival and with only two of the races longer than a mile in distance, it’s going to be all about speed - no more so than in the Molecomb Stakes (2.30), the Group Three five-furlong sprint for two year olds.

This emphasis on speed here should be ideal for Lady Iman, and despite landing her Group Three success over six furlongs, the speed that she has shown strongly suggests coming back in distance is going to suit her even more.

Lady Iman has hit speeds of over 42mph in every race she has run in so far, and last time that raw speed really took its toll on her in the closing stages. The eventual winner Beautify dictated affairs from the front, and despite Lady Iman clocking three sub-11-second furlongs from four out to the furlong-pole, she couldn’t close the deficit. This effort then told, as she tired in the final furlong, completing it in 12.24 seconds.

The unique topography of the Sussex Downs makes the draw especially important at Goodwood, perhaps most of all over the seven-furlong trip of the World Pool Handicap (4.55).

Great Acclaim (18-1, at the time of writing) is the lucky horse who has been drawn in the most advantageous stall, and with first time blinkers applied, looks well placed to offer us some each way value.

Both of his successes have come over a mile, but he has run very competitively in his two starts over seven furlongs this season. In a competitive handicap like this, his stamina should also be a real benefit, especially if they try to make the running.

He showed an encouraging turn of foot when beaten only a short head at Newmarket over seven furlongs two starts ago, quickening up to clock a Top Speed of 42.15 mph and two sub-11-second furlongs in the closing stages.

This highlights his potential at this distance, and as mentioned earlier, he definitely has the benefit of the draw.

Historically, his position in stall four has handed its occupants a 0.97 length advantage over their rivals. For context, stall 17, in which Mr Chaplin has been drawn, historically puts its occupants at a 0.83 length disadvantage. Sometimes we talk about fine margins, but when there is a swing of nearly two lengths from best to worst, it is clear that draw is going to have an impact here.

At a track where the winning strike rate of horses that clock the highest Top Speed over 7f at Goodwood is 12% lower than across all turf tracks in general, there are plenty of signs that a miler, drawn in the best stall, having been beaten just a short head off a 1lb lower mark two starts ago, should definitely be going close.