We’ve arrived at the final Group 1 feature race of the Adelaide Autumn Carnival and The Goodwood 2019 has attracted a field of sixteen local and interstate sprinters.
The Goodwood has been a good race for multiple Group 1 winners in recent seasons and horses like Booker and Spright will seek to add to their already impressive mantlepieces by winning the race.
Ladbrokes have examined all sixteen confirmed starters for the $750,000 sprint at Morphettville and our 2018 The Goodwood preview can be found below.
Booker
Booker returned to the races in autumn for an impressive win in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate; her first at the highest level and she looms as a live each-way chance in The Goodwood. The daughter of Written Tycoon has been a strong and consistent performer for Matt Ellerton & Simon Zahra throughout her racing career and was last seen finishing ninth in the Newmarket Handicap. This is an easier race than that, but she’ll need luck from barrier 15.
Spright
Spright realised her Group 1 potential with an impressive win in the Robert Sangster Stakes at this track and distance a fortnight ago. The classy daughter of Hinchinbrook has found another gear throughout the last twelve months and finished on the winner’s heels in two Group 1 races last spring and she has clearly returned in similarly pleasing form this time. She’s a live chance but will also need plenty of luck from the outside barrier.
Despatch
The Tony McEvoy-trained Despatch faces a rise in class in The Goodwood, but he has the runs on the board and is worthy of his place in the field. The four-year-old has shown good ability throughout his entire ten-start career, but he has gone to another level this time and has recorded three wins from as many starts, including both the Listed Oakbank Stakes and Group 3 DC McKay Stakes. He’s drawn a peach in gate 4 and can fight out the finish, with even luck.
Hard Empire
Hard Empire finished down the order in the DC McKay Stakes last time out and a career-best performance would be required for him to win The Goodwood. His first-up run and win in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes was good, but he would need to improve tenfold to bounce back in this class.
Casino Wizard
Veteran gelding Casino Wizard has returned three fair efforts this time, but he does look out of his depth in The Goodwood field and is surely running for a minor cheque. A place appeals at best, but even that looks to be a bridge too far.
Steel Frost
The locally trained Steel Frost has not shown his best form this time in and would need to improve drastically to figure in the finish of The Goodwood. The six-year-old, trained by Will Clarken could only manage a fifth placing in the Listed Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambool last time out, despite being offered every chance. He is rock-hard fit, however and has the advantage of in-form hoop Jamie Kah in the saddle.
Valour Road
West Australian raider Valour Road is another horse that faces a rise in class into The Goodwood field, but he has scored two impressive wins from as many starts this time and should only improve again. The three-year-old son of Frost Giant strolled him at Ascot first-up and produced arguably the best performance of his eight-start career to date when he saluted in the Group 2 Euclase at this track and distance two weeks ago.
Cool Passion
Cool Passion looked the winner in the Robert Sangster before she was nabbed by Spright and she is at peak fitness for her run in The Goodwood. The evergreen daughter of Not A Single Doubt has returned several pleasing efforts this time and finished two and a half lengths fourth to Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes most notably, prior to her run in the Sangster. The combination of trainer Tony McEvoy and jockey Barend Vorster has been an extremely successful one this season and Cool Passion looks an each-way chance of returning another winner.
Malibu Style
Perth-based journeyman Malibu Style has improved with racing this time but will need to find his absolute best to fight out the finish of The Goodwood. He hit the line well to finish second in the Wangoom Handicap last time out, but that performance would not be enough here.
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm resumed with a perfectly timed run to win the Vobis Gold Sprint at Caulfield late last month and will take plenty of benefit into this race. The four-year-old progeny of Toorak Toff has an outstanding second-up record and looks to have returned to the track a far more furnished prospect this time. He’ll need some luck from the potentially sticky barrier 12, but he’ll be ridden by leading hoop Craig Williams.
I Am Someone
I Am Someone will carry winning form into The Goodwood and will have conditions to suit, particularly after drawing a central gate. The Onemorenomore gelding has been up and racing for quite a while but finished within a length of the smart Miss Leonidas in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes, beating the likes of Eduardo, before comfortably winning the Wangoom last time out. He looks an each-way shot again.
Inn Keeper
Inn Keeper has returned two fair efforts this time but doesn’t look like a possible winner of The Goodwood this year. He jumped favourite after receiving plenty of interest in the Wangoom but offered little in the straight and finished midfield. He would need to improve tenfold to find himself in a winning position on Saturday.
Zalmona
Zalmona has been a strong and consistent performer in a lower grade than this and looks to be making up the numbers in The Goodwood. To the five-year-old’s credibly ha has continued to lift as trainer Peter Blanch has raised the bar, but a far bigger leap would be required for him to win in Group 1 company.
Jamaican Rain
Jamaican Rain was scratched late from the Robert Sangster field a fortnight ago but looks up to winning a Group 1 feature and The Goodwood could prove to be her race. The daughter of Manhattan Rain resumed in autumn for a classy win in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes, but returned a rare lacklustre run in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic. She’s been freshened and has trialled well for this, but barrier 11 looks her biggest concern.
Gytrash
Gytrash is another horse that has been racing well this time and looks ready to peak fourth-up in The Goodwood. The three-year-old recorded easy wins at his first two starts in April before another fair effort for third in the Euclase. This is another step up in class and he looks to be running for a smaller prize.
Behemoth
Three-year-old son of All Too Hard, Behemoth never looked a chance in the Euclase Stakes last time out and finished seventh. He has options from the rails draw on Saturday and will only carry 53kgs, but it’s tough imagining him being crowned The Goodwood winner.