Glorious Goodwood and Galway festival special: 'She should take all the beating'

Welcome to the Punting Club! Unlike most clubs there's no joining fee or annual charge, and the only criterion for being part of the gang is simple: an appreciation for weekend punting and an enthusiasm for chewing over the big talking points.

Every Friday we – that's Punt regulars Tom Collins (absent this week), Maddy Playle and Robbie Wilders (Punting Club membership numbers #1, #2 and #3) – will answer your questions on the weekend's racing action, share our best bets . . . and ruthlessly highlight the flaws in each other's arguments.

You can submit your questions via this link each week, but read on to see what we have to say this week . . .

What are your top five racing festivals? Punter

Robbie If your real name is Punter that is nominative determinism at its finest. In ascending order: Royal Ascot, Cheltenham, Punchestown, Glorious Goodwood and Galway.

Maddy Blasphemy to put a Flat meeting first! I suppose it depends which you count as festivals, as I'm a big fan of a few of the more low-profile, two-day fixtures, *cough* Silver Trophy *cough*, Bet365 Finale. But strictly speaking I'll go Cheltenham, Royal Ascot, the Ebor meeting, Aintree and, to throw in a curveball, Chester's May meeting.

Who will win the Nassau Stakes (3.35 Goodwood, Thursday)? John Houghton

RobbieThundering Nights would be very interesting if taking her chance and is perhaps slightly underestimated. She has returned an improved performer this campaign, finishing a narrow second to subsequent Group 1 winner Broome off level weights before she was unlucky not to score at Belmont Park. She then produced a top-class effort to defeat Santa Barbara and Cayenne Pepper in the Pretty Polly Stakes and there should be much more to come.

Maddy The current market doesn't tell us much, with several unlikely to go and others at the prices you'd expect. I have a lot of respect for Audarya but, similarly to Robbie, I earmarked Thundering Nights for this after her win in the Pretty Polly. Her form keeps looking better and better.

Maddy and Robbie agree on the chances of Thundering Nights in the Nassau StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

What's your best bet of the Galway festival? Anthony Mullarkey

RobbieExchange Rate in the 2m1f Connacht Hotel Handicap (6.15 on Monday). He lost his race at the start in a decent Listowel 2m handicap won by My Sister Sarah (not beaten that far in fourth despite missing the break) after 945 days off the track in June. He won his maiden at this meeting in 2017 and is 7lb lower than when second in a 20-runner Naas handicap two starts ago. The Listowel run should have put him spot on for this after plenty of time away.

There are always so many hard luck stories at Goodwood, so how important is course form? Colin Birley

Maddy It can be infuriating for sure! The Lennox always seems to be a race where there are hard luck stories. Course form is always a good bonus – Epsom form can be a good guide, too – but I wouldn't be picking selections on that alone. I'd rather look at a horse's physique and the way they move to try and ascertain whether they will handle the track. If they have never run there before I wouldn't be put off.

Could definitely do with a winner. Paul Smith

Robbie Couldn't we all. If Emphatic Answer runs in the BMW Mile (6.15 Galway, Tuesday) she should take all the beating. This three-year-old filly has been a revelation in winning two decent handicaps for Joseph O'Brien this season and has an entry in the Group 1 Matron Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend. She receives an 8lb weight-for-age allowance and would only carry 8st 7lb off her revised mark of 92 after hacking up at the Curragh last weekend.

Mojomaker: could reverse Sandown form in the MolecombCredit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

Maddy I'll nominate Mojomaker(3.00 Goodwood, Wednesday). Admittedly, he was beaten five lengths by the reopposing Fearby last time, but I'd be inclined to forgive him that effort as he wasn't the fastest away and then faced early pace pressure. For a horse who is all about early speed, this promises to be much more his bag and he nearly beat subsequent July Stakes second Asymmetric at the track in June.

Hi, there's a doubt whether he'll get in or not (and he runs this weekend) but what are Kimifive's chances in the Stewards' Cup (3.40 Goodwood, Saturday)? Mugged on the line last year but good ground and 6f suit and obviously likes the track. Ben Smith

Robbie You're right, he was so unlucky in this race last year. He'd definitely have a chance if he gets in but he'd probably need to win at Ascot on Saturday as he's 53rd on the list – he's weighted to go well and is definitely on a winnable mark. One horse who will get a run and looks sure to go well is Hurricane Ivor, who was desperately unlucky not to score at Ascot last time when storming clear on his side of the track. This son of Ivawood is improving quickly after just three runs for William Haggas and this could be his day.

Hurricane Ivor (far side) is still ahead of the handicapper according to RobbieCredit: Mark Cranham

Maddy He'd definitely be in with a chance if he gets in, but he's only won three races in his life and is frustrating to follow. The one I've got my eye on is Chiefofchiefs (16-1), who has been running nicely into form this season. His fourth in the Wokingham was the latest evidence of that and he's now 3lb better off with second-placed Fresh, who is as short at 8-1 for this. I think it's a race which will suit him.

Any overpriced handicap beauties at Goodwood next week? Jamie B

Maddy There aren't any prices available for the race yet but Dancing King (1.50 Goodwood, Wednesday) is going to have loads of unexposed types against him so could be way overpriced. You can put a line through his Queen's Vase run because the race totally conspired against him, while he was too keen in a slightly muddling, small-field Bahrain Trophy. Handicap pace suits him better and I can really see him getting rolling at this track.

Which trainers and jockeys do you follow at Goodwood and Galway? Ed Little

Robbie Dermot Weld used to dominate Galway but Willie Mullins has gradually taken over that mantle, with his team of Flat handicappers as powerful as anyone's these days. There are a couple of Mullins-trained horses to watch out for this year, including Koshariif he runs in the Galway Plate on Wednesday. He won a 24-runner handicap hurdle at the Punchestown festival off 143 last time and I sense connections have been waiting for the right time to cash in on his 10lb lower chase mark. French Made has three entries and is worth a second look wherever she lines up. Mullins is capable of readying one from a long layoff and this mare was among the best juveniles around in the 2019 season. Her mark of 135 looks interesting.

Koshari: chaser to note in the Galway PlateCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Maddy Like Robbie, I wouldn't be surprised if Willie Mullins cleaned up at Galway. In terms of Goodwood, you've got to respect any Mark Johnston-trained handicapper. He has recorded a +74.52 profit to a £1 stake from 1,148 runners at the track. However, I should say I'm not a huge believer in following trainers blind at individual tracks, each horse should be judged on its own merits.

Read more on Goodwood and Galway:

'I wouldn't put anyone off at 25-1' – Shark Hanlon priming Skyace for Galway

Poetic Flare odds-on for Sussex as Glorious Goodwood day two fields take shape

Dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll handed 'speculative' Galway Plate entry

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