The Grade 2 Listed raced from Goodwood will feature eight runners on Saturday. This year’s renewal of the Celebration Mile, a wonderful celebration of stamina and speed is going to be one of the big highlights of the weekend of racing.
There is a big star at the head of the market with Beat the Bank leading the field at 5/4 odds with bet365* (betting odds taken on August 24th, 2018 at 00:21 am).
Celebration Mile 2018 Winner Odds*
Beat The Bank 5/4
Altyn Orda 4/1
Stormy Antarctic 7/1
Zonderland 10/1
Arod 10/1
Oh This Is Us 12/1
Nyaleti 16/1
Whisky Baron 16/1
* (betting odds taken on August 24th, 2018 at 00:21 am)
Beat The Bank, will be ridden by Oisin Murphy on the weekend. Murphy is looking to retain the Celebration Mile title for the third time and takes the saddle in what is a former Qatar Goodwood Festival winner.
Beat The Bank was last out at Goodwood at the start of August where he took a hefty step up in weight and could only come home fifth in the Sussex Stakes. He will be at the top weight on the weekend of 9st 7lb, two pounds lighter than the last run out at Goodwood. Still, this is a good runner and has the class to compete and should be in the picture if the pace is strong.
Zonderland at 10/1 odds makes for an interesting entrant. He was second here last year after just pipped at the post. He was out Salisbury recently over the 1m distance where he was beaten into third place by Plumatic. He just didn’t have much left to offer inside the final furlong of the race and that will be a concern for punters on the weekend.
Oh This Is Us is out at 12/1 odds price and he has had a pretty decent solid season under his belt. He has taken a place finish in three of his last four races including the victory over 7f at Chester back in the middle of July. Is probably a bit more suited and used to carrying the bigger weights and the reliable runner came home fourth in last year’s Celebration Mile.
Irish youngster Altyn Orda has been pulled into second favourite on the back of a good win at Newmarket back in July in the Tattersalls Famous Stakes over the 1m distance. This is a horse who has made good strides in top contests and if he carries his favourite Newmarket form over to Goodwood then he could be a big threat. He will be carrying a favourable weight as well.
Arod is the oldest runner in the market at seven years old has pounded out some for this season with a couple of second places and a win by a neck over Oh This Is Us back in May at Windsor. Stormy Antarctic is joint top-weight for the race alongside Beat The Bank and has powered his way to positive results this season and has placed in all four runs since the start of April.
Predictions
Beat The Bank will be at that top weight and that is enough just to make us skip over him and lean towards Altyn Orda. There is a lot of potential in this younger and will have a big weight advantage in this race. He has already come in quite a bit in the market odds and could make quite the splash here.
