We won’t underestimate Friendly Soul

Goodwood: Race 2 | G2 Richmond Stakes

MAN’S BEST FRIEND won at Naas last week over this trip and will hopefully take a nice step forward, but this is a fair jump in class.

He’ll need to improve a fair bit as it looks a strong field, with the likes of Flann Sunna, Cut A Dash and Night In Vegas all arriving with a higher level of form.

Goodwood: Race 4 | G1 Nassau Stakes

DIAMOND NECKLACE comes into this unbeaten in five starts. She’s put together a very good race record, including wins in the French Guineas and the French Oaks.

That run the last day was over this 2100m trip and she got it well. Having a right-handed bend, there are similarities between the 2100m at Chantilly and 1985m at Goodwood, so the track shouldn’t be a problem for her.

She’s very straightforward, has been progressing all year and is hopefully the one they’ve all got to beat.

The two older fillies, Friendly Soul and See The Fire, look the dangers. The former didn’t get the rub of the green in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes last time out, and the form of that race is working out really well. The step up to 1985m should suit and she’s a former Group 1 winner, so we won’t underestimate her at all.

See The Fire has been placed in this race for the last couple of years, so Goodwood holds no fears or her, and if she bounces back from her run in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes then she can make her presence felt I’m sure.

Goodwood: Race 6 | 2yo Handicap

THE BOOKKEEPER is back up to 1411m, which he saw out well on softer ground to win at Haydock.

He ran well when dropped back to 1203m when fourth in the Woodcote at Epsom, but hopefully this is more his sort of trip.

I’ve not ridden him before, but he’s definitely of interest stepping into a nursery with his level of form.

Goodwood: Race 7 | 2yo Fillies Maiden

Aidan [O’Brien] tends to run a nice filly in this race. We won it with Rhododendron a few years back and look to have a nicely-bred filly again in SO LOVELY.

She’s a Wootton Bassett out of Guineas and Oaks winner Love, so is bred to be smart, and she’s had the benefit of a run.

Goodwood: Race 8 | HKJC World Pool Handicap

STORMING POINT has shown up well in four starts so far but is off a high-enough mark for a horse who’s yet to win a race. He might appreciate a bit of cut in the ground too, which looks unlikely this week.