Qatar Goodwood Festival: four to follow and a 25-1 ante-post tip
By Alex Scott
Last Updated: Tue 29 Jul 2025
Our editor Alex Scott has four horses worth considering for the Qatar Goodwood Festival, including a 25-1 handicap selection. Catch the entire five-day meeting live on Racing TV!
*This column was published on Friday, 25 July*
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Defiance
Coral Chesterfield Cup – Tuesday. Best odds: 6-1.
I advised backing this son of Camelot for the John Smith’s Cup at 20-1 after his hugely encouraging reappearance at Epsom’s Derby meeting, but much to my disappointment, despite being backed into around 6-1 for the race, he was not declared due to the fast ground.
The going on the first day of Glorious Goodwood is unlikely to be quite as quick, so I am hopeful that he will line up in this race, which looks another competitive handicap, but perhaps not as strong as his original target, so at the same price, he certainly appeals.
His fourth over this trip at Epsom last time was his first run in almost a year having been gelded and he probably delivered a career best performance.
The race was steadily run, yet he managed to make up a lot of ground late on, and I think there is a nice pot to be won with him off 99, especially now he is a more straightforward proposition to train.
Defiance was an eye-catcher at Epsom last month.
Galveston
HKJC World Pool Gordon Stakes – Thursday. Best odds: 6-1.
This race could end up being a small field, albeit a quality one, and whilst I am a big fan of the current favourite Merchant, he is 11-8 with many firms, which is short enough to my mind for a horse yet to run in Stakes company.
The one that looks a solid option to me at 6-1 is Galveston. Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners continue to dominate the middle-distance and staying division and his third-placed finish in the King Edward VII Stakes can be upgraded given he set a strong tempo up front and was only beaten three lengths at the line.
O’Brien has won two of the past five renewals of this race and it would not surprise me if this colt turned into a St Leger candidate, a race his top trainer already has an embarrassment of riches for. We have already seen stablemate Scandinavia put up a smart performance after being beaten at Ascot, and this son of Frankel has a chance of following suit.
Whirl
Qatar Nassau Stakes – Thursday. Best odds: 6-4.
Aidan O’Brien has won the Nassau Stakes on five occasions, all of which have been three-year-olds, and I fancy him to extend that record to half a dozen on Thursday courtesy of Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Whirl.
She has taken her form to a new level this year, winning the Musidora by over five lengths at York before finishing a close second in the Oaks and then fending off Kalpana to win the Pretty Polly over this trip when last seen a month ago.
See The Fire commands plenty of respect, but she will have to produce a mighty performance to give O’Brien’s progressive filly 9lb, and fellow three-year-olds Bedtime Story and Cercene, whilst very talented, do not yet have the same level of form in the book as Whirl.
She should take all the beating and odds-against looks generous to me.
Hear what Aidan O'Brien had to say after Whirl's victory at The Curragh.
Native Warrior
Coral Golden Mile - Friday. Best odds: 25-1.
(Also entered on Wednesday in the 7f World Pool Bet With The Tote Handicap)
Proven form at Goodwood is always a positive and this horse finished second at the meeting last year over 1m1f. Another plus is his form in big field handicaps, having finished third in the Brittania Stakes at Royal Ascot last year too.
Therefore, I am hopeful connections may decide to take a chance off a low weight in Friday's Golden Mile, for which he seems massively overpriced.
His career best effort came last time on the all-weather, where he won cosily in a first-time visor. He has been raised 3lb for that effort, which seems lenient enough, and he is also ground versatile.
Wathnan Racing have enjoyed a good time of things at the big festivals this year and this son of Wootton Bassett may still be on the improve.
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