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Horse Racing

Free Wind hoping to breeze to Lillie Langtry success

August 2024

Free Wind can right last year's wrong in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday.

John and Thady Gosden's mare is the highest-rated runner in the field with an official mark of 114 and notably shed her maiden tag with a 9-length victory at this track three years ago.

She has gone on to win a Group Three and multiple Group Twos since then, and was beaten just a head by Warm Heart in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks last summer.

The six-year-old was clear second best in her bid for back-to-back wins in York's Middleton Stakes in May, but the winner Bluestocking has done the form no harm since, following up in the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland before filling the runner-up spot in the King George at Ascot last weekend.

Free Wind disappointed in the Lillie Langtry last season, but is easily forgiven that below-par effort given the ground turned heavy, and provided there is not a deluge of rain ahead of the weekend she can settle that particular score on the final day of the Qatar Festival.

Al Aasy will aim to reverse the form with Phantom Flight in a hotly-contested Coral Glorious Stakes that gets the card under way.

The pair enjoyed a fascinating tussle over 2000m in the Steventon Stakes at Newbury two weeks ago, where William Haggas' seven-year-old narrowly went down by a length to George Scott's younger rival who was making his stable debut for his new trainer.

Al Aasy took a while to find his stride on his first start for 287 days and should be all the better for the seasonal reappearance run as he returns to  2400m on the Sussex Downs.

The son of Sea The Stars can admittedly be a touch frustrating, but even so he has four Group Three triumphs to his name and there is no doubting his talent when it goes right.

Lethal Levi gets the vote in a typically wide-open renewal of the Coral Stewards' Cup.

Karl Burke's sprinter has proved competitive in a whole host of lucrative sprint handicaps over the past three seasons, notably notching back-to-back wins at Newmarket in the summer of 2022.

The five-year-old was winless last season, but appears to have been reinvigorated by the application of blinkers this term, with victory at Newbury in May followed by fine efforts in defeat in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and Newmarket's Bunbury Cup, finishing fourth and second respectively.

On both occasions Lethal Levi was ridden aggressively before being mowed down late, so in theory Goodwood's fast 1200m should give him the opportunity to last home.

It is a small worry that he disappointed on his only previous visit to the Sussex Downs, but that was off the back of a particularly busy spell and at rewarding odds it is worth taking a chance.

Desert Flower is difficult to oppose in the Turners EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Newmarket.

Charlie Appleby's youngster bolted up here on debut three weeks ago and she is expected to double her tally before stepping up in grade. - Press Association

SELECTIONS:

DONCASTER: 15.15 Piranha Rama, 15.50 Love Wars, 16.25 Winston's Tipple, 17.00 Burdett, 17.35 The Ridler, 18.10 Flying Star.

GALWAY: 14.55 Apple's Of Bresil, 15.30 Bardenstown Lad, 16.05 Delta, 16.40 Flying Bay, 17.15 Elzem, 17.50 Expound, 18.25 Sixpack, 18.55 Cameletta Vega.

GOODWOOD: 14.50 Al Aasy, 15.25 Fairbanks, 16.00 FREE WIND (NAP), 16.35 Lethal Levi, 17.10 Mister Sketch, 17.45 Consolidation, 18.20 Gloucestershire.

HAMILTON: 19.10 Temper Trap, 19.40 Rory, 20.10 Classy Al, 20.40 Digital, 21.10 Maso Bastie, 21.40 Humble Spark.

NEWMARKET: 15.05 Art Design, 15.40 Lmay, 16.15 Desert Flower, 16.50 Usuario Amigo, 17.25 Ensured, 18.00 Captain Dandy.

THIRSK: 15.10 Ziggy's Triton, 15.45 Barefoot Warrior, 16.20 Le Beau Garcon, 16.55 Quest For Fun, 17.30 Thunder Run, 18.05 Southern Voyage.

WINDSOR: 18.45 Heartwarmer, 19.20 Lexington Blitz, 19.55 Mayday Malone, 20.25 Moulin Booj, 20.55 Boy George, 21.25 Happy Chandler.

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