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WITH fresh ground to be opened up for the final day at Goodwood, it is hard to know the best side to be on down the six-furlong rush for the feature betting race of the day, the Steward’s Cup at 3.35.

Ignoring the box draw, I am fairly confident that TACTICAL (nap) is going to run a massive race in this annual cavalry charge. Two wins as a juvenile at this trip were followed by one over seven furlongs in the European Free Handicap on his three-year-old debut at Newmarket.

Since then, the five-year-old has raced mainly over seven furlongs and a mile, and placed in Listed company.

He was also beaten some eight lengths by the mighty Baaeed in the Thoroughbred Stakes here and run several good races at Ascot in big field handicaps, when seemingly not getting home.

I think that this drop back to six furlongs is long overdue, and if he has the luck of the draw and is on the right side and of course the run of the race, his guaranteed stamina off his lowest-ever handicap mark of 99 could see him go very close here.

Of his rivals, I have most regard for Wokingham Handicap third Juan Le Pins and the former Ayr Gold Cup winner Bielsa, who is only a pound higher than for that win 18 months ago, and has since won off a 4lbs lower mark at York this year.

The Steward’s Cup Consolation at 1.50 only has 14 runners set to go to post, and the pick could well be LIVE IN THE MOMENT.

Now with Alice Haynes, the six-year-old has form figures on soft ground of 6114, and has been placed off marks of 84 and 87 this season.

With Shariq Mohd taking a further 7lbs off his back, the gelding is set to race from a mark of 79 here, and the cream of the cake is that he has a lovely high box draw of 14.

The unexposed three-year-old Zaman Jemil and top weight and course and distance winner Royal Parade could turn out to be his biggest rivals in this opening race on the card.

The other big race handicap on the card I would like to get stuck into is the Summer Cup at 2.25 over a mile-and-three-quarters.

A 7lbs penalty for absolutely hacking up at Newbury last time out may not be enough to stop Sweet William, but he has yet to encounter ground this deep in his short career and could very well act on it, but there is plenty of each-way value elsewhere in the field.

HMS President and Adjuvant are tightly matched up on their dead-heat runs at Newmarket, also on a testing surface and both are sure to be in the mix here, while there could still be plenty more to come from Typewriter.

However, the forgotten horse in the race is POST IMPRESSIONIST who was backed off the boards ante-post for the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, but then on the day of the race was a massive drifter from about 3/1 out to 8/1 and subsequently finished a well-beaten and one paced 14^th of 19 after running very freely throughout the first mile.

That run should have taken the edge off him and set to race off the same rating (95) and on ground that should suit, he may well resume his progress on what will only be his 10^th career start for the son of Teofilo.

As far as the rest of the card on the final day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting is concerned, I also fancy the claims of GREATGADIAN in the finale at 5.20 over nine furlongs.

The Andrew Balding trained runner was a cracking four-and-three-quarter lengths sixth of 22 in the Lincoln at Doncaster on very soft ground, and is preferred to the frustrating Fantastic Fox.

I also think that FREE WIND can bounce back from a moderate run in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, when the ground would have been a tad fast, by taking the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes over a mile-and-three-quarters at 3.00.

Away from the South Downs, there is plenty of racing taking place up and down the country, and in Ireland where the Galway Festival continues. 

TASHI is becoming dangerously well handicapped in the mile-and-a-half handicap at Newmarket due off at 3.15, and may have to lock horns with another well-treated runner, the top-weight Charging Thunder for which the booking of William Buick looks highly significant.

STRAITS OF MOYLE can end a frustrating run of game efforts in the concluding sprint handicap at Headquarters at 5.00.

Further showers should ensure that the ground remains testing at Thirsk this afternoon and that should suit HARSWELL DUKE in the seven-furlong handicap at 3.25, while a mark of 75 looks very playable for the top weight BILLY NO MATES in the mile-and-a-half handicap at 5.10, in which fellow highly rated Val Bassett could well be worth a saver now that he has the dig in the ground that he so sorely needs.

The best bet at Galway could well be WILD DOLLAR in the mile-and-a-half handicap due off at 5.25.