Keith Melrose explains the lessons of previous years that can help you crack the Stewards' Cup

Two-time Stewards' Cup winner Commanche Falls has gone on to better things in 2023. He still has plenty to teach us about this year's running of a race that has stronger claims than most to being the Flat's answer to the Grand National.

Last year Commanche Falls reinforced a hard lesson about the draw. Even getting it right in these big-field sprints is not always enough. The pace was all high last year, so I backed Regional in stall 27. The first four home in that 28-runner field came from stalls 19, 28, 27 and 26. Well done me, I guess.

The Stewards' Cup is a special case with the draw anyway. In the last decade there have been four winners drawn high, three middle and three low. Yet if you look at all results in big-field races on Goodwood's straight course, a high draw is death.