Fast money to be made in Stewards' Cup before Thunder Snow show in Saratoga

Qatar's huge investment in the most glorious week of Goodwood's calendar means prize boosts across the board and that includes in the Unibet Stewards' Cup (3.40) – the thrill-a-minute handicap sprint that headlines Saturday's bill in Sussex.

The 6f heat, which is worth a cool £250,000, will take just over a minute to run but winning connections will not mind waiting should they pocket the £155,625 first prize – not a bad sum for some 70-odd seconds work.

Charlie Hills might be the best place to start in solving this tricky puzzle as he has the best two horses in the race but don't let me or the Lambourn trainer tell you that.

It is the BHA's handicapper, instead, who reckons Vanbrugh and Khaadem are the most talented horses in the field with ratings of 107.

Vanbrugh is owned by Khalid Abdullah and ridden by Kieran Shoemark, the combination that struck with the Hills-trained Vividly at Goodwood on Thursday.

He carries top weight of 9st 10lb but the fact Khaadem is a three-year-old means he races off 4lb lower with the weight-for-age allowance.

Hills - a Stewards' Cup winner with Magical Memory in 2015 - holds him in high regard, recently saying he still had stallion aspirations for the classy son of Dark Angel who runs in the Battaash silks of Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Perhaps he is that proverbial Group horse in a handicap if you will, so no wonder he heads the betting but it will be no straightforward task.

Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni teamed up to win the Wokingham – another of Britain's premier sprint handicaps with Cape Byron – and Flavius Titus looks another emerging sort for the pair.

Purists of the Pattern vintage can enjoy the Group 2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (3.00), which Aidan O'Brien has thrown plenty at, fielding Flowering Peach – a rare Ballydoyle ride for the trainer's one-time protege Sean Levey – Peach Tree and South Sea Pearl.

The ITV cameras, which also screen Goodwood's Qatar Stewards' Sprint (1.50) and the Qatar Summer Handicap (2.25), are at Newmarket as well, broadcasting the British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes (2.05) and European Bloodstock News British EBF Fillies' Nursery Handicap (2.40).

You will need Sky Sports Racing and perhaps some coffee to watch Thunder Snow in the Whitney Handicap (10.46) at Saratoga.

No horse in thoroughbred history has won more money than Saeed bin Suroor's versatile flagbearer, who contests a hot version of the storied Grade 1.

Turf and dirt seem to come alike to Christophe Soumillon's mount, the only two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup.

"Thunder Snow has been working well on the track at Saratoga and looks to be in good order," said Bin Suroor.

"He has settled in nicely and I am very happy with his condition. He is stepping back up in trip and has a good draw in stall four, although it is a very tough race and he is coming up against some strong opposition.

"We know that Thunder Snow is a tough horse and I am looking for a good result."

McManus caps it with nine in Galway feature

You can be sure racecourse commentator Jerry Hannon took Friday evening easy and got an early night at the thoughts of calling today's €120,000 Galway Shopping Centre Handicap Hurdle.

Hannon, the ultimate professional, will not be fazed by memorising nine different coloured caps – as well as the others – as JP McManus throws everything at this valuable contest.

It would be enough to put any sane person off their dinner, let alone the offerings of a late night on the town during race week.

Great White Shark lit up the opening night of the festival when landing the qualified riders' handicap under Jody Townend, a ray of sunshine who deserved her big-race success after a tumultuous winter.

Today, it is her champion jockey brother Paul who is entrusted with the steering but, be warned, as last year's big winner on the Monday night Uradel could not follow up in this race for Mullins, who ended up taking it with Low Sun.

That scorer made the champion handler the most successful trainer of this contest in recent years and he throws four darts at the board as he bids to make it five victories from the previous seven runnings.

Poet trying to match record festival hat-trick

The penultimate 1m4f handicap may offer just a smidgen of the prize-money on offer for that big handicap hurdle but it could throw up one of the stories of the week with One Cool Poet attempting to win for the third time this week.

An absolute rogue, One Cool Poet needed every bit of Billy Lee magic to end his long losing run here on Tuesday but looked the part when following up on Thursday.

Given how much he saves for himself, he could have a bit up his sleeve under another 6lb penalty as he bids to emulate the achievement of Busted Tycoon, the only other horse to win three times at the festival. What a story that would be.

Ground and weather

Ed Arkell, Goodwood's clerk of the course, was in two minds whether to water on Friday night in advance of the final day of his track's most important meeting on Saturday.

Jockeys praised conditions – described as good to firm, good in places after the first on Friday – and Arkell said: "If we can avoid putting any water on, that would be fantastic, but equally we don't want jockeys coming back after the first tomorrow and saying that it is absolutely rattling ground and having a spate of non-runners.

"Equally, we know what happens if you water overnight if you aren't careful."

Armchair guide

1.50 Goodwood
Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap
A consolation race for the card's feature and Ballyquin, representing the not-so-familiar partnership of James Doyle and Andrew Balding, looks a worthy favourite after solid efforts at Ascot and Newmarket. Boy In The Bar, who Doyle knows well, will also be popular as trainer Ian Williams has booked Ryan Moore to ride.

2.05 Newmarket
British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes
Not many horses win four in a row but Bella Vita has the chance to make it five on the spin and many will be drawn to her claims. A star for Eve Johnson Houghton this year, she has won a maiden and three handicaps and earned the right at this fancier prize.

2.25 Goodwood
Qatar Summer Handicap
King's Advice outdoes Belle Vita as he has won a whopping seven times already in 2019, including a course-and-distance event in May. Trained by Mark Johnston, who is sweeping all before him, the five-year-old is rated 108 having began his winning run off 71 at Lingfield in March.

2.40 Newmarket
European Bloodstock News British EBF Fillies' Nursery Handicap
John Quinn has had two winners at Goodwood this week and aims to make a splash at Newmarket with Mia Diva, narrowly beaten at Hamilton last time but right in the mix on her Catterick win in June.

Back for another try: Justanotherbottle (far side) is touched off by Gifted Master in last year's Stewards' CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

3.00 Goodwood
Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes
Enbihaar has to concede weight all round but that is because she won a Group 2 at Haydock four weeks ago - form that should make her a leading player. Looking like she would stay forever, the daughter of Redoute's Choice has been brought along steadily by John Gosden, who rarely puts a foot wrong with this type of horse.

3.40 Goodwood
Unibet Stewards' Cup
Khaadem has the sexiest profile - a three-year-old who could yet make his mark in Group company - but nothing is for certain in a race of this nature and Justanotherbottle - 4lb lower than when a fine second in the race last year - must not be dismissed for his shrewd trainer Declan Carroll.

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