 Tim Carroll 's Bio | |
|---|---|
| Tim started off as a jockey in Australia before pursuing a media career. He is a highly experienced and respected racing presenter who has been based in England since 2005. Tim has travelled the world covering many of the major meetings, including Royal Ascot, The Epsom Derby, The International meeting from Sha Tin, The Dubai World Cup, The Everest, The Saudi Cup and The Breeders. He is currently a presenter for Sky Sports Racing, specialising in both the local and international scene. Tim is a regular contributor to the At The Races Website where his twice weekly tipping column on Hong Kong racing has gathered a strong following. | |
Goodwood Racecourse – Track Analysis (Goodwood Cup Day)
Goodwood is one of the most spectacular and unique racecourses in the world. The track is right-handed with two home bends, and all races over 1400m, 1600m and 2200m enter the straight via the lower bend, whilst all other races enter via the top bend. The run in from the top bend is approximately 900m and 750m respectively, but given the nature of the turns and the downhill gradient, it is considered a sharp track, favouring those on the speed, particularly in shorter races. Horses that are held up off the pace can run into trouble, particularly those on the rail. The track has a straight course with starting points over 1000m and 1200m.
Goodwood Cup day sees eight turf races contested. Three of those are on the straight course, including the 1000m 4yo+ 86-105 Handicap and both the 1200m 2yo Maiden and HKJC World Pool Fillies Handicap. On the straight course the low barriers are drawn on the far side with high numbers closest the grandstand rail. Over the 1000m horses with speed tend to dominate due to the fast downhill nature of the course, and horses that break slowly can find their race all over at the start. A few years ago, there was a definite draw bias for horses drawn high in big fields, especially over 1200m, but the draw seems to have evened out after work was carried out in 2008 to move the far side rail, although speed horses over 1000m are better off drawn low.
The five races on the round course are the 1979m 4yo+ Handicap, the two G2 Vintage Stakes and World Pool Lennox Stakes, both over 1400m, the 1600m 3yo+ Fillies & Mares 76-95 Handicap, and the feature race 3200m G1 Goodwood Cup. It is generally considered there is no draw bias on the round course, but my own research suggests horses drawn middle to low over 1400m and 1600m have an advantage in larger fields.
In the Goodwood Cup, which is full of ‘swoops and loops’ – and one of the few routes where horses will race on the same stretch, sequentially to and from, in both directions - runners start on the lower bend and then begin to swoop left before straightening out where they tend to go from the inside to the outside rail before hitting a looping right turn that climbs uphill, reaching the highest part of the track, they then head downhill before climbing again as they hit the top bend prior entering the 900m straight. Horses can come from off the pace if the race has been run truly, but traffic issues are common, especially on the inside.
Last year's Goodwood Cup was run on Good to Soft ground, with a field of eleven going to post. On leaving the stalls QUICKTHORN was sent straight to the front with TASHKHAN, COLTRANE & ELDAR ELDAROV tracking the leader, as COURAGE MON AMI took up a position in midfield and EMILY DICKINSON was waited with toward the back. At the halfway point QUICKTHORN had skipped fifteen-lengths clear of his rivals but seemingly travelling strongly under his rider. As they came into the straight with 900m to go, QUICKTHORN was still fifteen lengths clear and although the rider was starting to push along, he was finding plenty and as they approached the 600m mark, he was still twelve-lengths clear with COLTRANE, TASHKAN & ELDAR ELDAROV the closest pursuers but all now been ridden to try and chase down the tearaway leader. As they neared the final 200m, the leader was still eight-lengths clear, and it was evident that the daring tactics were going to pay dividends with QUICKTHORN putting on a front running exhibition to win by six-lengths from EMILY DICKINSON who picked up best of those in behind to finish a short-head in front of the third, COLTRANE in a time that was 5.75 seconds slower than standard
Over the last ten years the Goodwood Cup has been run nine times on ground with Good in the description. With only a low chance of light rain being forecast in the days leading up to & during the meeting, it is likely that Good will be in the going description this year.
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