Goodwood Racecourse’s season opener: Preview and tips for Friday’s racing

Racing gets under way at 1.25pm with a novice stakes in class two before a mile and three quarters handicap in class four brings the card to a close.

Read below for a full preview and selections for the Goodwood card on Friday courtesy of Racing TV, who offer the latest horse racing free bets.

Brocklesby runner-up Son Of Sarabi looks the way forward in the opening race of the new season at Goodwood (1.25) for the Jonathan Portman team, who is the form pick and looks open to improvement. The Richard Hannon-trained Logi Bear can give him the most to think about, shaping well when third on debut at Leicester six days ago and is turned out again quickly down South.

A field of six will tackle mile conditions stakes in class two for three-year-old’s at 2.00, race two on the Goodwood card. There are two unbeaten colts in this line-up and are both in search of a hat-trick, with Amiloc clocking a good time when running down his rival to win at Kempton on debut for trainer Ralph Beckett. He is taken to get the better of unbeaten Dubawi colt Secret Theory, a winner of a 12-runner maiden at Newmarket last year and backed that up winning at Nottingham on his first outing as a three-year-old at Nottingham last month.

Another class two contest is up next at 2.35 as eight runners take on the five furlong handicap. Shagraan has won over course and distance and posted a career-best effort at Haydock to close last season. His return this time saw him found out a bit in the Portland but should strip well for that run and land the victory for the Mick Appleby yard.

The feature race of the season opener sees 12 runners head to the stalls for the Listed Daisy Warwick Fillies’ Stakes (3.10), with a cool £34,026 heading the way of the winner. The Ed Walker-trained Scenic was a very decisive winner in this grade at York’s Ebor meeting last season and a subsequent fourth was better than the bare result so resuming that form should see her go well. Panthera, hailing from the David Menuisier team, rates the next best with her sights lowered somewhat following a disappointing run in a German Group 1 when last seen.

Knebworth looks to be the one to beat in race five (3.45) having looked as if she has kept up her ability following a n excellent two-year-old campaign with a fourth and fifth so far this term, while the penultimate race on the card (4.25) can go the way of Kingmaker, a thrice-raced maiden for the Andrew Balding team but appeals a lot going handicapping for the first time over a longer trip.

Finally, the card comes to a close at 5.00 as a field of 11 take on the mile and three quarter handicap in class four, with Sixpack getting the nod for trainer James Owen, way too free on his last spin but with the cheekpieces fitted, should settle him down on his second start for his new yard having previously been a winner in Ireland on the level.

Goodwood selections - Friday

1.25 - Logi Bear

2.00 - Amiloc

2.35 - Shagraan

3.10 - Scenic

3.45 - Knebworth

4.25 - Kingmaker

5.00 - Sixpack