Goodwood Cup 2012

3.15 Goodwood

Artemis Goodwood Cup (British Champions Series) (Group 2) (Class 1)  (3YO plus)

Winner £56,710

Advice: 3 pts win Saddlers Rock (2/1 general), back to lay Nehaam (19/1 Betfair) in running

Colour Vision: Steadily progressive for Mark Johnston but successive career bests for Godolphin have seen him win Sagaro Stakes and then follw up with huge effort in excellent renewal of Ascot Gold Cup, with Saddler’s Rock well behind; Should take the beating once again although tough task confirming that form under 4lbs penalty.

Aaim To Prosper:  Confirmed himself as useful, most likely group class stayer with several good efforts in group company but beaten all 7 starts at Pattern level and same outcome today.

Askar Tau: Used to be extremely smart (winner of Doncaster and Yorkshire Cups in 2009) but lost that form and not really recovered to even level of his Sagaro Stakes win in April of last year; Others make more appeal.

Chiberta King: Shown himself to be useful, second in Henry II Stakes on seasonal reappearance before filling same position in weaker looking event at same track latest; Others make more appeal here and more needed.

Electrolyser: 16 lengths behind Colour Vision in Sagaro after winning Listed events and behind Chiberta King latest; Not good enough.

Lost In The Moment: Not been seen at best this year although better at this trip, and interesting on unlucky 2011 second in this (arguably should have beaten Opinion Poll); If back to that form, solid shout here.

Nehaam: Outrunning his odds in Gold Cup for long way until he faded late in the home straight, tiring late on into sixth; Most likely beaten on merit there but dropped in trip he has to be of interest from in running perspective at least with stable in flying form.

Saddler’s Rock: Laid down serious marker for cup races this season when romping last year’s Doncaster Cup and while he needed his comeback run too badly to figure at Leopardstown, he laid down a serious marker when third in the Gold Cup at Ascot, pulling hard off a slow gallop and then coming with late sustained charge to win, only to find line coming too late (would not have liked ground either); This is a drop in trip for him but does have a 3lbs pull with Colour Vision and more went wrong than right for him at Ascot, so has to be respected here with more forceful ride in offing than at Ascot.

Simenon:  Transformed on flat after spell with Willie Mullins, completing empathic double in long distance events at Ascot with brutal performance in Queen Alexandra win; This a step up in class but well upto group company and has to be given major respect here.

Times Up: Shown much promise at this level, staying on fourth in Yorkshire Cup hinting that win in pattern staying company to come soon; Dissapointed in Henry II Stakes at Sandown where he might have been given a bit to do on ground that could have been a touch firm for him; Will find better chances.

VERDICT: This should be between the top 4 in the market, and all being well, it should come down to the top two in the betting, Colour Vision and SADDLERS ROCK. Only ¾ of a length separated them in the Gold Cup and it should be tight again, but a 3lbs pull along with the promise of a strongly run gallop (or at least a stronger pace to aim at than at Ascot), and better ground should see him find yet more and he’s got an outstanding chance of turning the tables, especially with a more forceful ride.  Colour Vision has to be respected, as the drop in trip will really suit him and so will the ground, but the Oxx horse seemed a touch unlucky at Ascot and gets the vote with a 3lbs pull today. Simenon looked group class in his two wins that week, destroying the opposition, although it remains to be seen how he deals with the cream of the crop down in trip – although he deserves his chance for sure. Lost In The Moment is interesting on last year’s form even if he’s not quite shown it this season, but a really interesting outside chance is Nehaam, who was running a blinder in the Gold Cup before running out of gas. At 19/1 on Betfair he offers significant back to lay potential.