The second day of the Goodwood Festival features some competitive heats and Racing Post tipster Graeme Rodway gives his two best bets on the second half of Wednesday's card.
4.10 Goodwood
Lyrical Lady @ 15/2
1pt win
5.20 Goodwood
Farasi Lane @ 12/1
1pt win
Lyrical Lady can hit the right note
There are some promising fillies from top stables lining up in the European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies' Handicap (4.10), but they will all have to go some to beat Hughie Morrison's runner.
Morrison saddles Lyrical Lady, who has steadily progressive form and she has really found her feet on her last two starts, when recording back-to-back career-high Racing Post Ratings.
Lyrical Lady took a big step forward on her previous form when breaking her maiden at the seventh attempt in a 1m2f fillies' handicap at Salisbury. She travelled well through that race and quickly put it to bed with a smart turn of speed, scoring easily by a four-length margin.
Morrison had enough confidence in his filly to step her up to Listed company at Sandown last time and she ran another big race when losing out by six lengths in fourth against rivals who were rated upwards of 22lb superior. That effort is all the more creditable as it was at a mile.
Lyrical Lady almost certainly found that test too sharp and she was doing a lot of her best work late in the race. The return to 1m2f in calmer waters is exactly what the doctor ordered.
She has been hit with an 11lb rise, but if Morrison thinks she is up to Listed level, then she should be capable of defying a mark of 89 in handicaps before going on to better things.
Louis Steward partnered Lyrical Lady at Sandown last time, but George Rooke was on board when she won at Salisbury and the return of the latter in the saddle is yet another positive for a yard that can do little wrong at present. Morrison has been banging in the winners regularly.
Farasi Lane could spring a surprise
The 7f handicap (5.20) that closes Wednesday's card is wide open and Farasi Lane might be able to spring a surprise and upset the market principals now he is dropped back to this trip.
The Tom Ward-trained four-year-old has recorded two of his three wins over this trip and has shaped like he will soon be back winning on recent starts, without getting his head in front.
Farasi Lane was second off this mark in a mile handicap at Windsor in May and he put a poor run at Sandown next time behind him when returned to Windsor for his latest outing in June.
He was beaten a neck by winner Dubai Icon, but pulled a length and quarter clear of the third Misty Grey, who has since finished second in a Chester Listed race and won at Chelmsford.
Farasi Lane has a tricky draw in the highest stall of the lot (20), but Tom Marquand is one of the best jockeys around and it's worth taking a chance that he can negotiate a path through.
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