Happy Like A Fool a non-runner as ground is eased to soft

Happy Like A Fool is the first high-profile casualty of the heavy rain at Goodwood as the Wesley Ward-trained raider has been declared a non-runner in the Molecomb Stakes.

The going is now soft at Goodwood, following 15mm of rain. It was good all around early this morning after a dry night prior to the second day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival but heavy rain arrived at 11am.

Clerk of the course Seamus Buckley reported that forecasts now suggest the rain could move through the area more quickly than first anticipated due to the blustery conditions.

He said: "As long as we don't have a really, really wet afternoon, we should be okay. The forecast at the moment is for rain during racing but it's moving quite quickly, it's quite breezy here now, so it's moving quicker than perhaps we were expecting. We might have a period of rain before lunch and then it brightens up, but that's in my dreams maybe."

Wednesday's Goodwood cards

RPTipping's Graeme Rodway with three to watch on testing ground . . .

The ground is already good to soft and, with plenty of further rain forecast, it looks sure to get very testing at Goodwood on Wednesday.

Fastnet Rock's progeny usually handle cut in the ground and Brimham Rocks should be well suited by the prevailing conditions in the 1m4f handicap (2.25).

Ralph Beckett's strong-galloping gelding displayed a knee action when running away with a 1m4f Hamilton handicap last time and has a chance of defying a 9lb rise.

Ribchester has always looked at his best with ease underfoot and the rain might turn things in his favour in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (3.35). He is a three-time Group winner with soft in the going description and, while Churchill handles cut, he may ideally want it quicker.

By the time the 1m2f fillies' handicap comes up at 4.45, the ground could be heading towards heavy and that will hold no fears for Indulged.

James Fanshawe's filly was an impressive winner on similar going at Doncaster last time and her only two runs on ground softer than good have yielded form figures of 21.