3:45 – Goodwood – TANQUERAY STAKES (LISTED RACE) (REGISTERED AS THE FOUNDATION STAKES)(CLASS 1) (3yo+) Soft 1m1f192y
Godolphin run three horses in today’s 9 runner renewal of the Foundation Stakes at Goodwood and perhaps significantly Frankie Dettori rides Debussy. Dubussy has been used twice as a pacemaker for Godolphin’s at Ascot this summer in Group 1 races, but he is a decent horse in his own right.
He won the Grade 1 Arlington Millions when with Joihn Gosden last year and he has also won at Group 2, Group 3 and Listed level. He likes some cut in the ground having won twice from four starts in Good to Soft going, so today’s Soft ground should prove to be ideal.
He has not run at Goodwood before, but he has run over similar undulating tracks with adverse camber at Epsom where is has won once from two starts. He runs over 1 mile 2 furlongs today, which is the distance he has done most of his running at and he has won 5 times from 12 runs over this trip.
He runs in a Listed race today for just the second time. His first run in this class was at Chester, last time out on 10 September when he won by 2½ lengths. He put his rivals to the sword that day drawing clear inside the final furlong and running on, before being eased down close home.
He has won going right handed and has also won in field sizes similar to the 9 runner event he contests today. He should still be a fairly fresh horse as today’s race is only his 6th start of the year so there should be more to come from him at this level especially as his last race hinted strongly that he may well have retained his previous ability.
His trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has also made a decent start to his career at Goodwood and boasts a 25% winning strike rate at the track with 7 winners coming from 28 runners to date. He has had 5 runners in Listed races at Goodwood of which 2 have won.
