Ladies’ Day at the Qatar Goodwood Festival is always a stylish affair but we’re keeping our attention trained on finding winners from the five ITV races .
There is again Group One action with the Nassau Stakes , but let’s hope all of our Glorious Goodwood tips for Thursday fare well.
13:50 Tip
13:50 KINCSEM HERITAGE HANDICAP – CIARRAI ABU @ 5/1
Looked a horse to follow when winning a maiden here in May and was not scrubbed from any notebooks after an eye-catching fourth over a mile again back at Goodwood in June. A narrow win at Ascot last time out seemed more for necessity, given he was hiked 6lb to 86 and that ensured he got in here, but it has done the job and the feeling is that this valuable 10-furlong contest has been the plan for Harry Eustace’s gelding all season.
14:25 Tip
14:25 MARKEL RICHMOND STAKES – FLANN SUNNA @ 2/1
Simon and Ed Crisford have done really well with their juveniles this year and this son of Blue Point fully deserves a crack at this prestigious Group Two contest following emphatic victories at Windsor and Ascot .
15:00 Tip
15:00 MAISON PERRIER GORDON STAKES – GERYON @ 4/1
Ger Lyon’s three-year-old colt was highly tried last season, finishing second to both Constitution River and Hawk Mountain , and took a while to hit top gear this term, with four placed efforts hinting at limitations. But last time out at Leopardstown he looked transformed, picking up really well and responding to Colin Keane ’s drive to pull nearly four lengths clear of a decent field over nine furlongs, a run which suggested the extra distance here should be within his grasp.
15:35 Tip
15:35 QATAR NASSAU STAKES – FRIENDLY SOUL (NAP) @ 7/2
It would be an understatement to say that John and Thady Gosden’s mare is due a bit of luck this season, but after two runs to forget she could get her due reward with a win at the highest level. When returning from a 19-month lay-off, Friendly Soul put her foot in a hole at Haydock back in May, an incident which she was fortunate only ended her race and not more, given she was at full speed at the time.
She then went to Royal Ascot for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes , only to fall out of the stalls and get stuck behind a raft of slowing traffic, before finishing like a train once in the clear to end up two and a quarter lengths behind Blue Bolt . That piece of form is arguably the best on show, given the winner went on to land the Falmouth at Newmarket and fourth-placed Kon Tiki dotted up at Ascot on Saturday.
But Friendly Soul has more than that from her three-year-old back catalogue after scoring four times in 2024, starting with a length and a quarter defeat of King George heroine Kalpana and finishing with a Group One Prix de l’Opera win at Longchamp . Diamond Necklace sets the standard for the Classic generation, but her Prix de Diane win may not be as good as we thought, given the performances of those in behind since. If Friendly Soul is ridden up with the pace, this return to 10 furlongs at a track that should suit her could prove the key to success.
16:10 Tip
16:10 BUCCELLATI HANDICAP – OLD IS GOLD @ 9/1
Was gelded at the end of last summer and has been seen just once so far this campaign in a quiet reintroduction at Sandown , when slowly away from the gates. Yet judging on the best of his form last year, you would have to suspect that was to reach peak fitness rather than indicating problems and he could have more than a few pounds in hand of his official rating.
On his best show last season, Old Is Gold failed by a length to give Ardisia 6lb over six furlongs at this course, so given that winner is now rated 100 and he is still on 86, Andrew Balding ’s four-year-old could be worth a punt, especially with a return to five furlongs also looking in his favour.
Betting Tips
Glorious Goodwood Betting Tips
15:35 – Friendly Soul (NAP) @ 7/2
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