Taking aim at the Goodwood Festival - Day 2....

Tuesday, 29th July 2025

Taking aim at the Goodwood Festival - Day 2….

Selections for Day 1 here….

In ATC today….

…. I swing the bat in all the big handicaps on Day 2 at Goodwood….

I’m on NOVELISTA in the 1.20 – up at 11s….

…. and I’m on AKECHETA at 12s & 11s in the 3.45….

That’s the summary….

…. you’ll find all my reasoning below – as per usual….

Oh…. and if you’re looking for the standout place terms on offer – you’ll find them in the Bet Box below….

Read on….

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NOVELISTA is the bet for the Coral Pipped At The Post Winners Handicap (1.20) at the general 11s….

He’s been winning decent money rather than races – with two good seconds in quality contests most recently….

At Doncaster he found just Many Men too good over 14f – in a race he might well have won had he not gone left-handed late on….

Pole Star was behind him that day and did for him next time out at Haydock – again over 14f….

He couldn’t quite get to his stablemate late on – but the form of that race looks solid enough….

…. with the three horses that have run again since – including Pole Star and Many Men – all winning….

Novelista steps back to the 12f trip tomorrow – and I accept that this could be viewed as a negative….

…. on seasonal debut at York in a handicap over 12f, he was described as not having the pace to challenge….

But that was his first go of the 2025 campaign, he’s been different gravy in two goes since, and I’m not writing him off just yet at the mile-and-a-half….

…. Goodwood is a different track to York – and Doncaster and Haydock come to that – and on the ups-and downs he encounters tomorrow the 12f could prove ideal….

…. plus, he might well be ridden a bit differently – a bit more like a typical Johnston horse – and make it a test of stamina….

What I do like is the appointment of William Buick in the saddle – he rides the Goodwood bends just about as well as anybody out there….

…. and the mark of 82 means Novelista is in receipt of quite a bit of weight from all those above him in the betting….

I think he’s better than that mark and – but for those defeats of a head and a short head – he’d be higher up the rankings already….

In the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Handicap (3.45) I’m backing Irish raider AKECHETA at the general 12s & 11s….

Forecast bits of rain would do no harm to her chance….

…. but it wasn’t good ground that got her beat at the Curragh last time when she was sent off third favourite for a valuable mile handicap….

Instead, she sat way too close to a hot pace under Seamie Heffernan – and fell away….

The time before at Epsom over the 10f trip under Adam Farragher – back on duty tomorrow – was a much better indicator of where she’s at….

…. and I reckon there’s more to come from her over the 10f trip – where she has form figures that read 222 – off a mark of 89….

She’s been going consistently well against the lads in decent quality big-field handicaps – that last-time-out effort aside….

…. and dropping her into a race where she gets to run exclusively against her own sex could well be a smart move by trainer Kevin Thomas Coleman….

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Now, just to recap….

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That’s all for today….

I’ll be back tomorrow with picks for Day 3 at Goodwood….

Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd