Today's Racing - 2nd August 2012

1 pt each/way Prussian & Beaufort Twelve, 2.15 Goodwood (15/2 Sportingbet and Stan James, 14/1 general)

Of the last 10 winners of the Betfred The Bonus King Stakes, 8 ran in the 10f heritage handicap at Newmarket's July meeting beforehand, and using that technique you are left with Pilgrims Rest, Prussian and Fennell Bay. With 9 of the last 10 winners having been drawn seven or lower, Prussian gets the vote from stall 1 for Mark Johnston, who has won the opening handicaps of the day twice this week, has three winners in total and has won this twice in recent years.

Prussian ran poorly at Ascot and Newmarket but the yard weren’t in great form at the time and better can be expected based on her last two starts, including a good second when being involved in a prolonged scrap with Classic Punch before then being nailed late on by Unex El Greco, who had progressive form beforehand and was well handicapped. With a top draw near the rail, she can go close.

Pilgrims Rest was fourth in that Newmarket event, having come a good fifth behind Fennell Bay at Royal Ascot, and he looks rather big at 14/1 with a draw of eight potentially not the handicap it seems with a decent draw and Richard Hannon always amongst the winners at this meeting. Beaufort Twelve is the springer in the mix, having lost out narrowly to Stature who went on to boost that form at Newmarket next time in the handicap which we’re using as a formguide, and a better surface for him is sure to bring out a better result for him.

Wrotham Heath and Grandeur, the 1-2 in the strong 3yo on Derby at Epsom, disappointed in the Tercentary Stakes at Royal Ascot but there are reasons to think that both can do better than that showing. Wrotham Heath was given a poor rider at Royal Ascot when Tom Queally went off far too fast in some tough conditions there, while Grandeur wasn’t quite group class. However Grandeur is lumped with weight despite being 2lbs better off with Wrotham Heath, and he’s got a draw of 18, while Wrotham Heath has nothing fron the handicapper.

Opinion is interesting, although some have suggested that he needs to have it soft after two clear cut wins this season with that word in the going description this year, while Asatir (current favourite) is sure to take some catching based on his current rate of progression, although he’s out wide in 17.

1 pt each/way Ghanaian, 4.20 Goodwood (7/1 general, 15/2 Bodog)

They say never back a horse because of the name but there’s more than good coincidence involved when suggesting that Ghanaian can go well for Godolphin on his debut in the super competitive maiden stakes at Goodwood today.  Mahmood Al Zarooni’s record with fillies first time out at this time of year (July and August) is 8-31 and that alone entitles her to big respect here, with plenty of winners in her pedigree (she’s a half-sister to four winners including one listed winner over 6f).  Supernova Heights and Botanica are obvious contenders and deserve to be the favourites, but at 7/1 it might be worth assuming one or even both of them are unbeatable and Ghanain might be the best of the large group of newcomers.