Glorious Goodwood festival tips 2023: Friday's best bets from Racing Post experts

Day four of the Goodwood festival is upon us – but who do our top tipsters fancy most?

Our top Goodwood festival tips for day four

Balance Play

5.20 Goodwood: Coral Handicap

By Paul Kealy

He's a horse I've been following since he split two promising sorts (both won their next starts but haven't been seen since) over just 7f at Salisbury in May as he is bred to want a lot further than that.

He went up three furlongs at Epsom next time in a good handicap on Derby day, but was somewhat surprisingly outpaced over a furlong out before staying on again, but he got it right next time when a commanding winner on easy ground from the front at Chester.

A couple of those behind him that day have not exactly advertised the form since, but Balance Play was always in control and shapes as though the extra bit of yardage here will be perfect.

He's a half-brother to Khalidi, who won the first two times he raced at Goodwood and finished second to Crystal Ocean in the Gordon Stakes on the other, so hopefully he will take to the track just as well and, like that one, prove a lot better than his mark of 88 in due course.

Balance Play17:20 Goodwood

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Jky: Hector Crouch Tnr: Ralph Beckett

Tacarib Bay

3.00 Goodwood: Coral Golden Mile

By Tom Segal

Comes here having run as well as he ever has in the valuable 7f handicap at Ascot on Saturday. That was on similar ground and, while he could finish only sixth, he was first home on his side, easily beating all those who raced with him. That included a lot of the fancied horses and, if anything, he's even better at a mile.

The question is whether he's as good at Goodwood as he is at Ascot but Tacarib Bay wasn't beaten far from the outside stall in his only run at this track and there is no obvious reason why he won't run up to his best again.

Tacarib Bay15:00 Goodwood

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Jky: Sean Levey Tnr: Richard Hannon

Mimikyu

4.10 Goodwood: L'Ormarins King's Plate Glorious Stakes

By Kevin Morley

Hamish holds leading claims and will be tough to beat with some cut in the ground. However, this trip is on the short side for him, especially on this speed favouring track.He could be vulnerable against Mimikyu, who also meets all trends and may be the one best served by this distance.

Mimikyu16:10 Goodwood

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Jky: Frankie Dettori Tnr: John & Thady Gosden

Nostrum

2.25 Goodwood: Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes

By Charlie Huggins

Group 3 winner as a juvenile last season and was impressive when making a successful reappearance in Listed company at Newmarket's July meeting. Nostrum was well backed on what his first start since finishing third in the Dewhurst and relished the step up to the mile to score on his first run for 278 days.

New Endeavour was more than five lengths behind Nostrum in third off level weights, having been beaten half a length when conceding 1lb to Docklands in the Britannia on his previous start. Docklands is closest to Nostrum in the betting for this Group 3 but the Royal Ascot winner could find it difficult to follow up on the basis of the New Endeavour formline.

Sir Michael Stoute has won this race a record six times and Nostrum can enhance the trainer's excellent record.