Going Gone is worth risking in a seven-runner Novice Stakes over twelve furlongs of Lingfield polytrack this afternoon, significantly in-form veteran jockey Pat Cosgrave is back on board Jim Boyle’s charge; there was a major hiccup on his second start at Bath three weeks ago.
Following an encouraging debut over nine furlongs of ‘heavy’ Goodwood last October it was decided to geld and ‘spell’ Going Gone in readiness for a three-year-old campaign and it began when the Le Havre gelding lined up an unfancied 15/2 shot in a four-runner race; hot-favourite Golden Flame made the running under Adam Kirby and stayed on strongly to beat Going Gone whose chance went at the stalls.
Apparently jockey Charlie Bennett was very slow to get a blindfold off his mount and so they had immediately ‘Gone!’
Given the considerable deficit Going Gone did well to finish only nine lengths off the winner, six lengths clear of the others which had previous form.
On my time-figures Going Gone achieved enough to be more than just competitive against likely market leaders, Godolphin-owned Marshall Plan, penalised 7lbs, and Al Nefud, second in both starts and an obvious danger with a mission to retrieve last time losses. One to follow whatever happens because once thoroughbreds have managed a half-decent time-figure their winning potential is obvious and exploitable.
Thrice-raced Moneykenny, a moderate gelding trained by ‘favourite Andrew Balding, is a good example in the shallow Novice Median Auction Stakes over eleven furlongs of Southwell fibresand; should win, by default!
Strawberi looks a tasty betting proposition in the ten-runner Maiden Fillies’ Stakes over a mile and a quarter of Chelmsford tonight; last race of a long day which features five meetings mainly made up of difficult, moderate fare.
From experience I’m aware fastidious scrutiny can often unearth a ‘beaut’ in the sand, it’s akin to waving a geiger counter on the beach and once-raced Strawberi certainly ‘bleeped’ when I checked on her time-handicap mark at Newmarket fifteen days ago. Remember Delta Bay landing our nap?
!6/1 chance Strawberi was being ridden ‘quietly and ran on well to finish only three lengths off the hard-ridden winning Frankie Dettori-ridden favourite; this is a gilt-edged opportunity for Roger Varian to strike in readiness for an assault on the fabulous two-day(s) ‘Guineas’ programme this weekend.
Roger is patience personified, are you, can you wait until 8.15, can you afford not to?
Selections, Lingfield, 3.35 Going Gone (e.w); Southwell, 5.50 Moneykenny (e.w); Chelmsford, 8.15 Strawberi (e.w).
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019