The Stewards’ Cup had its inaugural running in 1840 over a sprint distance of six furlongs. The contest has now become the feature race on the concluding Saturday of the Glorious Goodwood Festival and always attracts a large and competitive field.
Let’s take a look at all the trends and statistics based on the last ten runnings of the race.
Age (win-place-runners)
3-y-o: 2-1-17
4-y-o: 4-7-76
5-y-o: 2-9-69
6-y-o: 2-7-54
7-y-o+: 0-4-50
Horses aged either three or four have the best combined record winning a total of five times in the last six years. Eight of the twenty-eight entries fit this age criteria in 2017.
Horses aged over six years have a bad record in recent times. This statistic bodes badly for seven of the total entries.
Three-year-olds had a bad record in this race until the last couple of years when they have won on both occasions. Just two three-year-olds are in the line up this year if you fancy that trend to continue?
Weights
Six out of ten winners carried 9st 1lb or more.
Three out of the last four winners have been between the 8st 11lb and 8st 12lb mark.
9st 1lb runners or more account for twenty entries in the field, whilst 9st or less runners account for just eight entries.
Horse ratings
OR 99+: 4-13-133
OR 91-98: 6-16-121
OR 90-: 0-1-7
Ten out of the last ten winners had an official rating of between 95-104.
Just two horses are rated under 95 this time around.
Key Races
Seven of the last ten winners ran in the Wokingham
Previous winners of the Infinity Tyres Stakes at York have a super record here.
Eight of the last fifteen winners has raced at Goodwood before.
Draw
Eight of the last ten winners were drawn in stalls 10-19.
Trainers
The only trainers that have won the race in the last ten years and are represented again are: M.W Easterby, A.Balding, C.Hills, W.Haggas, R.Cowell and R.Charlton.
Price
All ten of the last ten winners have come from the first six in the betting. At the time of writing the first six in the betting are: Projection, Danzeno, Sir Dancelot, Polybius, Growl and Raucous.
Chances of the principle runners in the betting:
Projection
Ante-post favourite Projection (Roger Charlton, 9st 6lb) was third in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot.
The four-year-old gelding competed in the consolation £75,000 Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap at the Goodwood Festival last season and came home a close fifth when denied a clear run in the closing stages.
Any reproduction of that run will give him a great chance in this feature race.
Danzeno
Mick Appleby expects Danzeno (9st 11lb) to make his presence felt on his step back up in trip.
The six-year-old gelding gained his first win since landing a conditions race at Musselburgh in September 2015 when defying top weight over the minimum trip at Ascot last time out.
He was also a close fifth in the Wokingham, but does have to shoulder a 6lb penalty for that recent win which gives him top weight and makes his task all the more harder.
Raucous
Also prominent in the ante-post betting market is Raucous (9st 5lb, William Haggas), who finished eighth in the Wokingham Handicap after meeting lots of trouble in running.
This drop back into handicap company after finishing fourth last time in Group company is a shrewd move by Haggas and the booking of Jim Crowley makes this horse a must on any shortlist.
Sir Dancelot
The 101 rated Sir Dancelot (David Elsworth) gets into the handicap here carrying just a mere 8st 12lb which is a massive 13lbs pull on the top-weighted Danzeno.
The three-year-old was a good second last time out at Newmarket and has arguably one of the best jockeys in the world aboard in Ryan Moore.
There is every chance that the three-year-old recent trend in this race is due to continue on Saturday afternoon.
Polybius
Polybius (9st 3lb, David Simcock) ran a cracker of a race in the Wokingham Handicap finishing fourth to Out Do.
The six-year-old has since gone on to finish an eye-catching three-quarters of a length second to Danzeno in a hotly contested heritage handicap.
Polybius is now 6lbs well in with Mick Appleby’s charge and it could be enough to turn the tables.
Growl
Richard Fahey’s runner (9st 10lb) was well fancied for this race last year but failed to overcome a terrible draw.
This year the draw is much more favourable and Fahey has employed the services of Connor Murtagh to take off a valuable 10lbs.
Growl has been the victim of some very bad luck of late but if things finally click again this weekend he is a live contender.
Race summary
Based upon all the above trends and statistics over the last ten renewals of the Stewards’ Cup race, the pair who keep coming to the fore are Sir Dancelot and Raucus.
Given the size of the field and the attractive each-way odds and concessions available on the race, it could be well worth backing both horses.
Check out our latest prices on the race here at 888sport.
