Big Evs can dethrone Aussie ace Asfoora and be King again at Goodwood
BIG EVS has the need for speed and can get the better of round two with Aussie ace Asfoora.
There might not be a Group 1 on Goodwood’s Friday card but there’s certainly a Group 1-standard field for a cracking renewal of the King George Stakes over the flying five.
Battaash’s course record might even come under threat given the quick conditions.
Several of these, including four of the first five home, met in last month’s King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot where Australian mare Asfoora came out on top.
But Big Evs was only a length and a half back in third after blazing the trail for a long way and must have a big chance of turning the tables on this sharper track where he won the Molecomb this time last year.
Earlier on the card, the Thoroughbred Stakes looks a good opportunity for Roger Varian’s smart colt Al Musmak to get back in the winner’s enclsoure.
He had very strong form at two which included chasing top miler Rosallion home in a listed race at Ascot as well as finishing runner-up in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.
It’s taken him a few runs to deliver on that promise this season but he looked better than ever when dropped back to a mile and returned to listed company for the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last month.
He had three of today’s rivals behind him and was well on top at the finish, producing an effort which puts him 3 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for this Group 3 contest.
The big handicap – and betting race – of the day is the Coral Golden Mile.
David O’Meara has won two of the last four renewals and even though he’s taken out a couple of his declared runners, that still leaves him with a whopping SIX chances to win it again.
Of those, the 2022 runner-up Blue For You needs respecting again but the value option could be one of his stablemates Darkness, the mount of Hector Crouch.
He was a good fourth in this last year off a 3 lb higher mark and comes into this in good form after finishing fifth in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket last time.