King of the Swinger: play our free Wednesday game for Goodwood

The first three days of this year's Qatar Goodwood Festival are World Pool days, in which punters from across the globe can bet into a single pool with huge liquidity thanks to the collaboration of over 20 operators. As well as a better pool-betting experience for punters, World Pool days hosted in this country deliver a notable financial boost to British racing.

The Swinger bet is a popular one in the Far East and simple to place - all you have to do is pick two horses in a given race and both have to finish in the first three in order to collect.

In our free-to-play game for Tuesday at Goodwood, you just need to pick two horses for each of the first seven races and get as many top-three finishes as possible in order to climb our leaderboard. Horses at bigger prices will return a bigger dividend, so there's no harm looking towards bigger-priced fancies!

Below, we've nominated some contenders who warrant a second look to get you started. Good luck and don't forget to submit your entry ahead of racing on Wednesday!

1.50 Goodwood: Coral Handicap (1m4f)

There are plenty of unexposed types in this 12-runner race for three-year-olds, with over half the field having won within their last two starts and four in the line-up contesting their handicap debut for top yards.

Plenty of these have made the running or raced prominently in their short careers so far and a likely strong pace will aid the claims of Amleto, the half-brother to the top-class and sadly ill-fated Sea Of Class likely to have plenty of supports after winning nicely on soft ground at Chester last time and that form since being advertised earlier this week. His opening mark of 92 will surely underplay him in time and it’s feasible he could get a nice tow into this, while stepping up in trip to 1m4f will suit.

The Charlie Johnston runners will likely get second looks here and the yard has done fairly well in this race in recent times with a fair few winners, even if not many others from the stable have hit the frame besides. Of all their contenders, French Invasion looks the most interesting on handicap debut and he looks a strong stayer being by Le Havre out of Monsun mare Jumooh, an excellent producer who has foaled high-class stayers including Raheen House. Johnston handicap debutants have performed better at this meeting than the market has expected since 2010 (five winners and five runners-up from 35 runners) and to a level-stakes profit.

Fox Journey has to prove that soft ground isn’t an issue, and his form doesn’t look as compelling as some of these, though the record of Sir Michael Stoute in this race is notable (since 1998, five winners from 22 runners and 60% place strike-rate) and his sole contender here is interesting solely on that point. (TT)

2.25 Goodwood: Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes (7f)

__Selections: Matilda Picotte (No 13) & Fast Response (No 2)

A big field lines up for this valuable Group race for the fillies and mares and it’s interesting that two-thirds of the runners this year are three-year-olds, an age bracket which has historically not fared so well here (46% of the winners from 56% of the runners).

That’s not to say they can’t win of course and one of the more interesting ones here is Matilda Picotte, a high-class juvenile from last year who has carried on her progress into top races this term. She ran a blinder in the 1000 Guineas and similarly shaped a bit better than the result when fourth in a good Sandy Lane Stakes behind Little Big Bear at Haydock last time and the likely soft ground will be no issue at all. This quick seven furlongs looks a nice set-up for her, while there is a lack of pace despite ample runners here and she could be right up there forcing things early despite her wide draw.

Fast Response will also like the slow ground (form figures of 117122 on ground described Soft or worse) and she ran well at Chester last time when getting squeezed for room late on and did her best work at the finish. She races off the pace and might need luck in running to mount a challenge given this may not be run at a brisk gallop but she can certainly figure, while Jumbly travelled well at Royal Ascot last time and this drop to seven furlongs will definitely suit, even if it’s slightly disappointing she couldn’t sustain her challenge over a steadily-run mile in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes. She has plenty of class, though. (TT)

4.10 Goodwood: British EBF 40th Anniversary Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (5f)

This race, for two-year-old fillies, was won by the speedy The Platinum Queen last year. She went on to finish second in the Nunthorpe before going one better in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

It could be that raw pace is not key this time, with the weather forecast suggesting the ground could be soft, at the least, by the time this is run. That complicates matters as plenty of these youngsters – 11 of them winners - are untested away from a quick surface.

Indispensable is an exception as she ran a personal best when a close third in last week’s Listed Marwell Stakes on soft ground at Naas. She would have won in a few more strides and, provided this does not come too quick, should again make a bold bid.

Beenham also warrants attention as she won on easy ground here at Goodwood in May, under Richard Kingscote, and upped her game when a close sixth in the Super Sprint at Newbury last time, when not getting the rub of the green. She is reunited with Kingscote here.

Flora Of Bermuda was first home on the far side when sixth of 26 in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot but is among those to have raced exclusively on fast terrain. (AS)

4.45 Goodwood: British European Breeders’ Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap (1m2f)

This ten-furlong handicap for fillies has an open look, with Decoration, a daughter of Frankel, at the top of the market after giving the well-handicapped Zarga plenty to think about at Windsor last time.

La Isla Mujeres will also be popular after successive wins at Kempton and Salisbury; the latter by a wide margin on testing ground, which she may well encounter again here. However, the temptation is to look beyond them and find a couple of runners who may be neglected.

Persist is likely to be overlooked after being well held on her return at Newcastle but she walked out of the stalls that day and I’m inclined to put a line through that run. She ran some solid races last year and her pedigree, she’s by Frankel out of QEII winner Persuasive, suggests she will keep improving and that at some stage she will exploit a mark of 86.

There’s The Door’s recent defeats might indicate the handicapper has her nailed, but they came over 12 furlongs and dropping back in trip looks a good move. She’s very effective on soft ground, so any deterioration in the ground will not inconvenience her. (AS)

5.20 Goodwood: World Pool Handicap

Rhoscolyn hasn’t won for more than two years but he has a lot in his favour and looks a banker to finish in the first three.

Rhoscolyn last won in June 2021 at Epsom off a mark of 92, where he was following up a course and distance win, on soft ground, off a mark of 86. He has subsequently run in many Group races and several of the big handicaps over this trip, performing with great credit for the most part.

His best performances have come at Goodwood and he ran second off 104 in the big mile handicap in 2021 and finished third in a finish of noses off the same mark in August of last year. It has seemed to take him a while to hit form after wind surgery this season, although the stable generally had a bit of a lull in late spring but is back to form now.

He signalled his turn for a long overdue win was coming with a good second at Beverley last time and would likely have done better if the hood had come off a bit quicker. He is well drawn in 4 and has conditions to suit on his favourite track with Oisin Murphy doing the steering.

The other to catch my eye was Love De Vega, who has tumbled to an attractive mark and represents a yard that does well here.