In what is one of the feature races at the famous Glorious Goodwood meeting, the Goodwood Cup takes place over two miles and attracts some of the world’s best horses, jockeys and trainers in the sport.
2022 will be no different, and those involved in the £500,000 race will be breathing a collective sigh of relief after British trainer Richard Hannon announced that his bay colt and pre-race Goodwood odds contender Mojo Star will no longer be running.
Although the four-year-old has shown plenty of promise of late, including his narrow loss by half a length to Kyprios in Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup – Hannon noted that a much-needed break could do his thoroughbred some good.
“We are setting him up for an autumn campaign,” he said.
“He had a tough race at Royal Ascot on very fast ground. It was his season debut and he just got tired. Had he had a run beforehand he might have won.
“I want to give him time to get over those exertions and I also want to look after him because he should be racing next year as well.”
There’s no doubting Mojo Star’s potential, however, he’s a colt notorious for always being the bridesmaid and never the bride when competing in high-profile Group 1 outings – a trademark Hannon believes can be reversed.
“I am confident his time will come and when he gets his head in front at Group 1 level, he could run up a sequence,” he said.
With Mojo Star no longer competing for the sought-after Goodwood Cup prize, let’s take a look at the Goodwood horse racing tips and who shapes up as the major contenders to take out this year’s race.
Kyprios
You have to look no further than his win at Royal Ascot last month to understand why he’s the early betting favourite. With jockey Ryan Moore deciding to make his move with four furlongs remaining, the four-year-old colt displayed a rapid turn of foot and the necessary staying power to stave off the fast-finishing Mojo Star and the ever-threatening Stradivarius. The Royal win marked four wins from Kyprios’ last five outings – which includes triumphs at Leopardstown, Navan and Cork.
Trueshan
This French-bred six-year-old has enjoyed an unbelievable 12 months, winning at five meetings on the trot and catapulting himself into the elite class of racehorses in the world. Included in those five victories is last year’s Goodwood Cup, where he pulled away in magnificent style and romped home to win by just shy of four lengths.
While Trueshan’s rich vein of form has seen him put forth some memorable performances, it was the gelding’s effort in winning the Northumberland Plate which had racing fans watching on in awe. Conceding between 19 lbs and 30 lbs to his 19-strong field of opposition, Trueshan defied the odds and put on an extraordinary display to hold off capable colt Spirit Mixer. It was an historic run, with Trueshan’s British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rating of 120 surpassing the previous highest rating for a winning horse on the flat of 115 – a feat achieved by Ocean Tempest at Chester in 2014.
Stradivarius
This eight-year-old champion horse needs no introduction. The four-time Goodwood Cup winner has proven himself time and time again to be one of the greatest horses in the UK & Ireland’s storied history of horseracing.
In what is potentially his final race, Stradivarius has the chance to finish his career on a high and further add to his already ironclad legacy. While there are a couple of horses at Goodwood demanding more of the money at the tote, the John and Thady Gosden-trained horse isn’t in particularly bad form.
His third-place finish at Royal Ascot was more about the ride and less about his run, as he showed plenty of resilience to compete down the stretch. If he hadn’t been boxed in and taken around a wall of horses by jockey Frankie Dettori – a fourth Gold Cup victory could have potentially been on the cards. Dettori’s ride at Ascot has appeared to have cost him, with the Gosdens choosing to replace the 51-year-old jockey with fellow Italian Andrea Atzeni.
Manobo
The Charlie Appleby-trained horse may not have won since February – however – the Goodwood Cup stage is the perfect chance for the four-year-old to announce his return to the winner’s circle. If Manobo can emulate the form he was in last year, which saw the colt secure wins at Newbury, Kempton, Saint-Cloud and Longchamp – he is in with a real shot.
While Mojo Star’s absence is disappointing for those who love healthy competition, as you can see, there are still plenty of world-class horses saddling up in the Goodwood Cup that will surely whet the appetite of fans at home and abroad.
