Trainers' views: Hannon confident Tony Curtis is all set to star

3.00 Goodwood
Betfred Mile Handicap | 1m | 3yo+ | ITV/RUK

The task of justifying favouritism in one of the most fiercely competitive handicaps of the season, achieved in nailbiting fashion by Franklin D last year, could fall to Royal Hunt Cup runner-up Blair House.

Godolphin's four-year-old has been supported into 6-1 (from 12) in the week leading up to the £150,000 contest, although favourites have won just two of the last ten runnings.

Blair House runs a fine race in second behind Betfred Mile rival Zhui Feng in the Royal Hunt CupCredit: Mark Cranham

Blair House, trained by Charlie Appleby and the mount of William Buick, finished a half-length runner-up to Zhui Feng at Royal Ascot and is 1lb better off with the reappearing winner, a previous course scorer at Goodwood.

Although unraced on soft ground, Blair House has finished first and second in two starts on good to soft and is a worthy market leader, while Godolphin’s other two runners, Birchwood and GK Chesterton, who sports first-time blinkers, have won in testing conditions.

Draw trends may go out the window

The draw remains a crucial factor at Goodwood, especially in big-field handicaps, with only two of the last ten winners of this race coming from a double-figure stall.

No statistic emphasises its importance more than four of the last ten winners, including last year’s scorer Franklin D, being drawn in stall one. However, there is a good chance a high draw will prove favourable on soft ground with runners potentially fanning across the track.

GM Hopkins, a neck second to El Hayem in the Coral Challenge at Sandown last month, holds the inside berth and will be partnered by in-form Andrea Atzeni, while Sir Roderic – initially first reserve – and Gossiping are among those likely to make use of a high draw in testing conditions.

One dart for Johnston – but Star makes appeal

Mark Johnston's last two winners of the race have benefited from the weight-for-age allowance and the Goodwood master saddles one runner – three-year-old Masham Star.

Following the withdrawal of Sussex Stakes winner Here Comes When and Belgian Bill, second reserve Masham Star creeps into the race off bottom weight, with PJ McDonald, successful aboard Havana Grey in the Molecomb Stakes on Wednesday, in the saddle.

Masham Star won three times in his juvenile campaign and has been running creditably in defeat this season, with this his first start at Goodwood.

What they say

Amanda Perrett, trainer of Zhui Feng
He’s been handed a nice, low draw but we'll just have to see how the ground dries out. It would definitely inconvenience him if it’s testing.

Angus Gold, racing manager to Hamdan Al Maktoum, owner of Mustashry
He’s a nice horse but has had a few niggling problems along the way, hence his long layoff. We'll see where we are with him here, but testing conditions would not be ideal.

John Gosden, trainer of GM Hopkins
He ran very well on fast ground at Sandown last time and we've planned this race ever since his previous run in the Hunt Cup. Obviously it's a completely different surface but he's drawn well in stall one – if he gets out.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Tony Curtis
He has an excellent chance. He ran a very good race at Newmarket and all his owners are off to Goodwood hoping for a big run. The soft ground should be okay – he might even like it.

Richard Fahey, trainer of Birchwood and Withernsea
We’ve been disappointed with Birchwood, but he looks fantastic right now though and is in great form at home. Withernsea is coming back quickly after finishing third in the International at Ascot. He seems to have come out of that very well and will love the ground.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Blair House and GK Chesterton
We were delighted with Blair House's run in the Hunt Cup and the give in the ground will suit. It's a competitive race but if he reproduces his Ascot form he'll have a big chance. You can put a line through GK Chesterton's Ascot run as he had a couple of races in quick succession. He will also appreciate the ease in the ground, and if he returns to form in first-time blinkers he could be competitive.

Gary Moore, trainer of Gossiping
He doesn’t really deserve the first-time visor but I felt he didn’t put it all together at Ascot. Stall 22 would normally be a bad draw, but on this ground it could well be in our favour. He loves it at Goodwood and I hope he goes on the ground. There are plenty of positives, so if he doesn’t run well it's probably that he's just a little over the top, as he’s been busy this season.

George Baker, trainer of Boomshackerlacker
The likely testing conditions give him a real chance. He has plenty of form across Europe on proper soft ground and keeps running well in these big handicaps.

Rod Millman, trainer of Sir Roderic
We've always thought a fair bit of Sir Roderic but he's stalled a little this season. We're trying him in a first-time tongue-tie – it's a very competitive race, but the ground has come right for him.

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