Goodwood, Saturday 23 May 2026: Full Card Tips

Goodwood, Saturday 23 May 2026: Full Card Tips

A proper Saturday card at Goodwood with sunshine, good ground, and a mix of Listed action, big-field handicaps and juvenile maidens. The going is ideal for the track and the firm-ground merchants. With the Epsom Derby just two weeks away, the Cocked Hat Stakes doubles as a form guide for the Classic, while the Height of Fashion provides a fascinating clash among the best 3yo fillies in training. Here is the full card breakdown.

1:25 — Fitzdares Harroways Handicap (7f, 18 runners)

Selection: Wechaad Each-Way — 8/1 Boyle Sports / LiveScore Bet, 17/2 Betfred

Roger Varian’s yard is ticking over nicely with six winners from 25 runners over the past fortnight, and this colt looks well placed on handicap debut. He ended his juvenile campaign in fine form: a ready win at Doncaster over 7f followed by a respectable showing in the Horris Hill at Newbury against quality opposition. Both those runs came on soft or good-to-soft ground, so the quicker surface today is the one question mark, but 7f on good at Goodwood is a fair enough test and he is likely to have improved physically over the winter. Off a mark of 96 and with Varian sending him here fresh, there is plenty to like at 8s in a wide-open field.

At 8/1 in an 18-runner handicap paying five places, the each-way terms are excellent. Pathein is also interesting at the same price but is conceding weight all round in his first handicap, which is too much to ask on debut in this company. Reciprocated at 10/1 is the next-best interest if you want an alternative saver, given the yard is firing and cheekpieces helped at Pontefract.

2:00 — British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes Listed Race (1m3f, 5 runners)

Selection: Golden Story — 3/1 all books

Saxon Street is the standout on form, two from two with a Listed trial scalp at Epsom already on his CV, and 4/5 reflects his superiority on paper. The angle here, though, is each-way money on Golden Story at 3/1 in a five-runner field with only two places, so win-only it is. The K R Burke yard has been productive recently, eight winners from 45 runners, and this colt has only had two starts. His Doncaster win came on soft, so good ground at Goodwood raises no obvious concerns given he handled good at Chester on his comeback. That Chester run, a fair third in the Dee Stakes behind a horse now rated the Derby favourite, gives him proper form credentials. If Saxon Street runs into any trouble finding his stride over the longer trip, or simply does not handle Goodwood’s undulations, Golden Story is the logical recipient of any prize on offer.

Del Maro with first-time cheekpieces is speculative at 10/3. You would not want to be against him, but the headgear is an unknown and 3/1 Golden Story is cleaner value.

2:35 — EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (6f, 9 runners, 2yo)

Selection: Knock Three Times — 9/4 all books

This is far simpler than it looks. Knock Three Times ran at 22/1 on debut at Nottingham and finished half a length second of seven over this same trip on good ground, beating all the experienced fillies bar the winner. She is now the 9/4 favourite, which tells you the market has taken notice. The form pick on any reading of what we know, and Jamie Osborne’s record with his runners over the past fortnight is tighter but the booking of Saffie Osborne is a confident family combination. If her Nottingham effort is confirmed, she wins. Wondervision is the each-way danger at 13/8 to 2/1, her Ascot third over 5f suggesting 6f will suit, but Knock Three Times already has the proven form over this exact trip and going.

3:10 — Fitzdares Height of Fashion Stakes Listed Race (1m2f, 8 runners)

Selection: Earth Shot — evens Boyle Sports / Betfred, 10/11 LiveScore Bet

William Haggas has 12 winners from 54 runners in the past two weeks, the yard is absolutely in full flow, and Earth Shot has done nothing but improve. An eye-catching second at Newbury on her debut last autumn was followed by a five-length demolition job at Newmarket over 1m2f on good ground at the start of the season. That is the trip, that is the going, and Goodwood is exactly the type of galloping track where a big-striding, progressive filly can dominate. The only reason she is not a short-priced jolly is that she has only had two races. That is a feature, not a flaw. Evens is still a fair price for a horse likely to be several lengths clear of her rating by the time the season is done.

Inis Mor at 4/1 is the main threat, a solid miler dropping in class after a Guineas run, but the step up to 1m2f is untested for her. Brilliant Star has massive potential but those novice wins, however impressive in aggregate, need to be taken on faith here.

3:45 — Darley British EBF Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes (1m2f, 8 runners)

Selection: St Hilda — 9/4 Boyle Sports / Betfred, 2/1 LiveScore Bet

Two runs, both on the Lingfield all-weather, steady improvement and a neck second over this exact trip last time out. Marcus Tregoning does not run many but when he sends one to a track like Goodwood with a specific trip in mind, it is worth respecting. The form from that Lingfield run already puts St Hilda at the top of the ratings among this field, and Lady Magu, who was beaten by her there, runs again here. Evening Fades and Guesstimate both represent the powerful Haggas yard, but neither has run over 1m2f on turf and that switch from artificial surfaces is the unknown. St Hilda gets in at the bottom of the weights and has the experience edge.

4:20 — Avastra Funds Handicap (1m6f, 11 runners)

Selection: Align The Stars Each-Way — 11/2 Boyle Sports / Betfred

This is the one that jumps off the page. A course-and-distance winner at Goodwood in 2024, he returned from a long absence with restored cheekpieces and won cosily at Kempton over 2m, then ran a career-best when second in a valuable 1m6f contest at Newmarket. Charlie Johnston’s string is in excellent form, six winners from 45 in the past fortnight, and Align The Stars is back on familiar ground at a course where he has already shown he knows how to win. Spinning Wheel is well treated and has a future, but this is Align The Stars’s race to lose on current form and at 11/2 you are getting value for a horse who should be closer to 7/2 based on his recent displays. Three places at 1/5 odds makes the each-way play very attractive in this 11-runner field.

4:55 — Track Radio Handicap (5f, 11 runners)

Selection: Coyy — 6/1 Boyle Sports / Betfred, 11/2 LiveScore Bet

Eve Johnson Houghton’s yard has five winners from 28 runners recently and this gelding arrives on the back of a confidence-boosting win at Windsor over this exact trip, where he overcame traffic problems to get up near the finish. That is the kind of performance that suggests the handicapper has not necessarily reacted harshly, and the switch from good-to-firm Windsor to good at Goodwood should be no issue. Riley Rocks is the obvious danger, a progressive colt with back-to-back wins, but those have both come over 6f on the all-weather and the drop to 5f on turf is an open question. Wedonttelllies with first-time headgear at 10/3 is interesting but needs that gear to work. Coyy is the one with recent turf form at this exact trip and a winning run behind him.

Today’s NAP