Tapster Stakes Tips & Betting Preview

2.50pm Goodwood – Tapster Stakes (Listed Race) Class One – 1m 4f

Our number one contender here has to be the four-year-old Mr Singh (11/4), who has always been held in very high regard for the Gosden team and was joint favourite for the 2015 St Leger at one point before a dirty scope ruled him out, and he was forced to miss the race and the rest of last season. Stamina is certainly seen as his forte and there is a possibility that this mile and a half could prove to be on the short side for him these days, but he is certainly thought to be Group Two in the long run, we are just worried about his race fitness and the reduced trip for him here.

Interestingly, Mount Logan (2/1) is officially rated his superior, and will be having his first run for Roger Varian having left the Luca Cumani yard at the end of the year. Trying to improve a horse from another top yard is never easy, but new staff and surroundings can wake them up a bit, and it will be interesting to see if the five-year-old son of New Approach can continue to progress as he was in his previous stable. So far he has been a successful handicapper, mainly over a mile and a quarter, but he has won over this mile and a half trip so that should not be an issue, and with gallop reports suggesting he is working well at home he will be the one we back this afternoon.

David Simcock’s Bateel (11/4) will need to step up on what we have seen so far, but he did win his first three races in lower grade before moving up in class at Goodwood when a length and a half second to Carnachy with some pretty decent horses in behind. Sent off the 15/8 favourite that day, the implication is that he was fit enough to do himself justice so we don’t expect that much improvement, and he will do well to place this afternoon unless a few of these drop out on the day of course.

It would be fair to say that Noble Gift (16/1) needs to improve a bit as well to get involved, but he did win last time out at Ripon when repelling all challengers to beat Lycidas by a neck at the line. What he lacks in class he more than makes up for with his battling qualities, and he certainly deserves a shot at the big time, and if he gets a soft lead (which seems possible), then jockey Callum Shepherd may well be able to save enough to hold on again and he could yet be the best value call once the prices are out.

Lastly, Sussex trainer Amanda Perrett has her string in decent enough form which means we can’t just ignore the chances of Eye Of The Storm (16/1) who will carry the number one cloth. Formerly with Aidan O’Brien in Ireland he has form on a faster surface but failed to handle the heavy ground on his return to action at Nottingham but should be happier on the quicker going he seems likely to face today. That said, the mile and a half may well be too short for him these days with his last four races over a mile and three quarters or further, and in our view, a place is surely the very best connections can realistically hope for.