Stewards’ Cup History and Trends
The Qatar Stewards’ Cup dates back to the 1830s and has developed into one of the most competitive sprint handicaps of the season. The prize money isn’t bad either with £250,000 added including more than £155,000 to the winner. It’s been run on the final day of Glorious Goodwood since 1993. Five horse have won the 6f sprint twice but the last double winner was in the 1960s.
Three-year-old have won the last two runnings but only two have made the cut this year – Brian The Snail and Sir Dancealot. The former has won on soft going but has had his limitations exposed lately and neither are exactly progressive.
Goodwood’s 6f is mainly downhill but every winner in the last 10 winners had won previously over the trip so beware of those – Duke Of Firenze and Harry Hurricane – who have only won over 5f. Winning form in the grade is a definite plus and the draw could be set to play a part this year with a starting berth on the extremes likely to prove a disadvantage.
Projection (a general 8/1) never seems to have any luck, including when fifth behind Hoof It in this last year. But he would probably have won the Wokingham at Royal Ascot had he been drawn alongside the first two and finished marginally ahead of Polybius and DANZENO that day.
On the face of it, Danzeno has a tough task trying to reverse the form on worse terms but the soft ground will be a great leveller and Mike Appleby’s subsequent Ascot winner will handle it better than most. While admitting the penalty is a negative, the booking of Silvestre De Sousa makes up for that and the gelding is drawn bang in the middle of the 28-strong field. He’s a group-class performer at his best and appears to be back on song so betfair’s 10/1 is probably just big enough to attract interest.
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At bigger prices, Mobsta could run a big race for Mick Channon. Another who has winning form in group races, the five-year-old hasn’t quite hit the heights expected this year, especially in his last two runs, but he is better than a general 33/1 chance. Of more interest, however, is Stake Acclaim.
Dean Ivory also runs Lancelot Du Lac (33/1 with Betfred) with Frankie Dettori in the plate but Robert Winston usually rides the stable selection and takes the reins on the five-year-old, who is in cracking form and fancied to reverse Windsor running with the penalised Upstaging on tis easier surface – he is another who looks overpriced at 33/1 with Betfred.
Qatar Stewards’ Cup Current Best Odds
Projection (8/1), Danzeno (10/1), Polybius, Sir Dancealot and Growl (12/1), Donjuan Triumphant and Raucous (18/1), Edward Lewis, Eastern Impact and Outback Traveller (22/1), Al Qahwa, Aeolus, Brian The Snail, Hoof It and Poyle Vinnie (25/1), Stake Acclaim, Upstaging, Duke Of Firenze, Harry Hurricane, Lancelot Du Lac, Mobsta, Poyle Vinnie, Hoofalong and Shanghai Glory (33/1), Go Far, Classic Seniority, Perfect Pasture and Solar Flair (40/1)
