Thursday’s Goodwood Placepot Is a Complicated Puzzle to Solve
Three big-field handicaps should ensure Goodwood’s Thursday Placepot pays a healthy three-figure dividend. All six races that make up the bet – the first six contests on the exceptional card that starts at 1.50 pm – contain at least eight runners. It means the definition of ‘place’ is finishing positions 1-2-3.
Horses trained by Charlie Appleby (masked) and John Gosden feature heavily in today’s Placepot perm. ©GettyImages
The day’s racing highlight is the Group-1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Here the John and Thady Gosden-trained Nashwa – winner of the French Oaks – is trading at odds-on. But all other contests appear fiercely competitive.
Appleby Runners Can Be Backed Blind
No race looks a bigger minefield than the opening three-year-old handicap. Many of the top yards are represented in the 1.50 pm contest, and it would be a surprise if the winner does not progress into a top-class racehorse.
Heading into Wednesday’s Goodwood card, Charlie Appleby’s last 12 runners had produced 11 winners or placed horses. That includes Mischief Magic who won at the Sussex venue on Tuesday. Secret State won Wednesday’s opening race for the trainer too.
In irresistible form, the advice is to cover all bases and place all three of Appleby’s runners – Natural World, Blue Trail and Warren Point – into your Placepot slip.
Winning Form Is Best in Races Two and Three
Royal Scotsman has the form in the book and is the obvious one in the 2.25 pm, a Group-2 two-year-old contest. But Marshman and Al Karrar are one-from-one and, having scored on their debut comfortably, they could give the favorite a hard time.
It is difficult to look beyond the top three in the betting in the 3.00 pm. Our choice in the Group-3 contest is another Charlie Appleby horse, New London. He is three-from-four and his only defeat came when second – at long odds-on – in the Chester Vase. His conqueror there, Changingoftheguard, went on to win at Royal Ascot. That form is strong.
Nashwa Is Much the Best
A daughter of Frankel, Nashwa, is unopposable in the 3.35 pm, the Group-1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Third in the English Oaks, Nashwa later saw off 16 rivals to take the French Oaks. On paper, the three-year-old is much the best in the nine-runner field.
But a search warrant is needed to find the winner – not alone placed horses – in the 4.10 pm. This nursery handicap is a minefield. And a cluster-bomb approach is required to give Placepot players any chance.
We have chosen four. Mark and Charlie Johnston’s two representatives – True Statesman and Centre Court – along with the consistent Self Praise and the former John Gosden inmate, Faisal Road.
Five From 14 in the Final Placepot Puzzle
Even the leading horse racing sites have no idea about the concluding three-year-old sprint handicap. They are betting 6/1 the field in the 14-runner contest due off at 4.45 pm.
Dusky Prince is on a roll, winning his last three starts. Given his well-being, he is an obvious candidate. Silky Wilkie – placed in 11 of his 12 career starts – is another with strong credentials. Top-weighted Navello, Le Beau Garcon and Sir Henry Cotton are three others to put into your slip.
Placepot Perm/Numbers
- Race 1 – 1-4-6
- Race 2 – 1-6
- Race 3 – 8
- Race 4 – 7
- Race 5 – 1-4-5-10
- Race 6 – 1-7-8-9-10
3 x 2 x 1 x 1 x 4 x 5 = 120 Placepot Lines in Total
* Placepots and other Tote bets can be placed with all the best online betting sites. Simply click the ‘tote’ tab or, at Bet365, click ‘Placepot’ alongside the meeting name.
