FEATURE PREVIEWS: THE GOODWOOD

TRACK: Morphettville  | DISTANCE: 1200m | RAIL POSITION: +6m 1200m-W/Post; +2m Remainder | TRACK CONDITIONS: Good 4  | PRIZE MONEY: $1,000,000

The Goodwood is a set weights and penalties Group 1 raced over 1200m at the Morphettville racecourse in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the fourth and final Group 1 of the South Australian Racing Carnival.

The event has now seen an increase in prizemoney from 502k to a total pool of 1 million dollars as of 2024 and onwards. The Goodwood was first run in 1881 then known as The Goodwood Handicap. Since 2007 it has been changed to a set weights and penalties race and therefore changed it’s name to The Goodwood.

The leading trainer of the race was Walter Hickenbotham with 5 wins between the years 1901 to 1910 while South Australian legend Jockey John Letts has won it 5 times between the years 1961 and 1984.

The race attracts the nations best sprinters so there have been some superstar horses that have won the race. They include: Royal Gem (1946) Matrice (1956) Euclase (1992) Bomber Bill (2003) Takeover Target (2009) Black Caviar (2012) and Santa Ana Lane (2019)

Jamie Kah’s historic 2024 victory on Benedetta came at a very handy price of $7.40, which was 14.8% higher than best tote post commission.

Royal Merchant’s 2023 victory came at $19.68 BSP which was on parity with the competition.

Lombardo got it done in 2022 at a similar price, with the $20.23 a handy 8.4% higher than best tote post commission.

Looks to be some genuine speed here with the South Australian horses in Sghirripa, Press Down and Sir Sway all looking to take up prominent positions in running. Stretan Angel should get a nice cart up from gate one but will need luck in the straight. This sets it up for the Sangster winner in Charm Stone and race favourite Giga Kick hopefully getting on the 3 wide moving line and having the last crack at them down the outside. 

As somebody that likes to chase value there is no real flex in backing a near coin flip favourite in Giga Kick but, at the weights I think the horse is simply too good for them. The Everest winner with 4.5kg on the back and the fact Mark Zahra is sticking with the Gelding after winning the Robert Sangster on Charm Stone says a bit. The wide gate doesn’t worry me as there looks to be genuine speed in this. I think the horse will just get a cart into things in the 3 wide moving line and be too strong for them over the top late in the straight. Mark Zahra is riding Morphettville beautifully picking up both Group 1s a fortnight ago in The Sangster and the Australasian Oaks.

The horse just missed in the Everest last prep for 0.12L 2nd with 58.5kg and now meets a far inferior field in the Group 1 Goodwood and only has 54.5kg on the back. Pretty hard to ignore that and deserves to be those odds. Ameena looks a danger here. Was the eye-catcher in the Sangster when held up badly in the straight and flashed home for 0.3L 2nd but Charm Stone probably had more momentum up at the post. Now meets that horse 2kg better at the weights with the flyweight of 52.5kg for Dean Yendall. Charm Stone was a very impressive Sangster winner coming from well back out wide to score right near the post.

The Sangster/Goodwood double was last done by Black Caviar so it’s a hard one to complete but Climbing Star finished first in the Sangster then a close up 3rd in the Goodwood so it’s not impossible. Can strip fitter second up and come again with a flashing run. Not sure whether Stretan Angel’s gate 1 is an advantage or a hinderance but Phillip Stokes and Lachlan Neindorf cant be ingored in these big races. The horse is coming off multiple Group 1 placings this prep and not much went right for her last start. She finished 2nd in this race last year and can go one better here if things go according to plan 

7. Giga Kick
12. Ameena
1. Charm Stone
6. Stretan Angel