4.20pm Goodwood Tips & Betting Preview 28/07/2015

Race Time: 4.20pm Meeting: Glorious Goodwood Distance: 5f
Full Race Name:  Weatherbys Private Banking Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2)

Just the fifteen runners left in this ultra competitive handicap which is bad news for each way punters with one less place than they might have hoped for, but we soldier on regardless and look forward to another competitive renewal. Top weight Double Up (3/1) has been a shining light in the season of Newmarket trainer Roger Varian with three wins and a third from just the four races, and all of them over this minimum trip of five furlongs. A son of Exceed And Excel out of a Cadeaux Genereux mare, sprinting was always going to be his game, but he has been put up an amazing twenty five pounds since his winning run began, and surely the handicapper will catch up with him sooner rather than later, though until he is soundly beaten to prove that point, he is still in with a chance and remains at the top of our short list despite the burden of nine stone seven here but with the added benefit of a nice low draw in the one stall. . Tim Jarvis sends Lady Gibraltar (14/1) south to look for this valuable prize and she has form in he book that puts her in with a decent enough chance. Her two wins this season have seen one win here and one at Haydock, though to be fair they were in lower class than this and it would be a surprise if she were to do any more than place this afternoon. Two others with places chances have to start with Chilworth Icon (12/1) who represents popular trainer and ex footballer Mick Channon, and has the useful seven pound claimer Paddy Piller on board which brings him in to the equation off a feather weight. His jockey has ridden him three times in a row now so will be in touch with his mount and at a massive price he has chances on his best form which was probably when winning a Class Three at Sandown over this trip and (more importantly) on soft ground as well, which is exactly what he seems likely to face today, so the clues are there.

Good luck to Qatar trainer Zuhair Mohsen who sends Bern Me Baby (33/1) over for this contest even though he runs from out of the weights carrying two pounds more than his allotted eight stone.  He has won two races recently back at Doha but used to be in training with Marco Botti where he was rated as high as 90, a full eight pounds higher than he carries here today, so you never know? Lastly, how about an outsider in Perfect Muse (14/1) for the excellent trainer Clive Cox? She is one of those mares who constantly looks as if a big race is just around the corner yet constantly fails to deliver – could today be the day? 2014 was her year when she picked up three races in a four-month period, but she has failed to score since in five attempts but is slowly slipping down the weights. She still races today off a mark seven pounds higher than her highest successful rating of 79 but those who fancy an outsider could do a lot worse – and as she seems to handle a bit of cut in the ground she has something else in her favour as well.