Top-Class Opening To Glorious Goodwood

The opening day of Glorious Goodwood 2007, today, has plenty of top-class racing, with the undoubted highlight being the £150,000 Group Two Betfair Cup (3.25pm) over seven furlongs.

A superb 13-strong line-up features exciting three-year-olds Tariq and Arabian Gleam, first and third in the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20, impressive Royal Hunt Cup victor Royal Oath, runner-up in the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot earlier this month, Asset, sixth in the Group One Darley July Cup on July 13, and last year's third Assertive.

The £50,000 Group Three Gordon Stakes (2.50pm), run over 12 furlongs, has attracted a cracking entry of 10, including Epsom Derby third Aqaleem, Yellowstone and Lion Sands, third and fourth in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 22, and King George V Handicap scorer Heron Bay, who will all be out to enhance their St Leger claims.

Starlit Sands lost her unbeaten record when touched off by Elletelle in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20. Sir Mark Prescott's filly bids to get back on the winning trail against 15 rivals in the £50,000 Group Three Betfair Molecomb Stakes (4.00pm), run over five furlongs.

The terrific racing continues on Wednesday, August 1, when the £300,000 Group One BGC Sussex Stakes is the highlight.

Excellent Art, Ramonti and Asiatic Boy all feature among the eight declared runners for the mile championship event.

Excellent Art, trained by champion Aidan O'Brien in Ireland, won the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out and stable companions Archipenko and Trinity College also line up.

Godolphin's Ramonti gamely captured the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the South African-trained star Asiatic Boy runs in Britain for the first time.

Sir Michael Stoute has Jeremy, narrowly defeated by Ramonti last month, while Ed Dunlop saddles Munaddam as he bids to secure back-to-back victories in the race following Court Masterpiece's success last year. The excellent field is completed by a fourth Irish raider, the Kevin Prendergast-trained Decado.

Good Going Now At Goodwood

After walking the course this afternoon (Monday, July 30), Seamus Buckley, the Goodwood clerk of the course, is now describing the going as GOOD for the start of the five-day Glorious Goodwood Festival, with a GoingStick reading of 8.0.

He said: 'We are delighted with the way the course has dried out - this is the second consecutive dry day we have had.

'I predict the ground will ride just on the slower side of good for the first day (Tuesday, July 31). The forecast is for the weather to remain settled well into this week.'

There is temporary rail on the far side of the course, dolled out to a width of six metres, from the six-furlong pole to the winning post on the round course. There is also two furlongs of temporary rail on the top bend, dolled out three metres wide.

Buckley added: 'We will remove the temporary rail for the last three furlongs (from the three-furlong marker to the winning post) of the round course on Wednesday evening, giving fresh ground up the straight on Thursday.

'The other three furlongs of the temporary rail on the round course will be taken down after racing on Thursday to give fresh ground on the lower bend for Friday.

'The temporary rail on the top bend will be removed at the end of racing on Friday to give fresh ground for the Blue Square Nassau Stakes on Saturday.'