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Goodwood preview: Gale Force can blow away rivals

| 01.09.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Gale Force has a progressive profile and can get back to winning ways in the 2m handicap on today’s card at Goodwood (16.20) now stepped back up in trip.

The James Fanshawe trained filly got off the mark in emphatic fashion on her penultimate outing at Kempton when turning a 2m contest into a procession.

After travelling strongly on the heels of the leaders, Gale Force was produced to take up the running at the furlong marker and shot clear to win by seven lengths.

It was a most taking performance and one which suggested the four-year-old needed keeping firmly onside.

That view was confirmed last time out over 1m 6f at Nottingham when Gale Force ran a cracker to finish a one length third of 13 to Rhombus after being hit with an 11lb rise in the weights.

The daughter of Shirocco got slightly outpaced two from home before rallying strongly to be gaining all the way to the line.

Gale Force now meets the winner on 2lb better terms, and it was an effort which suggested she was still ahead of the assessor.

The step back up to 2m is sure to suit, and with the prospect of further improvement on the cards Gale Force can take this before going on to better things.

In the 6f handicap (16.55), Ladweb looks decent value to take advantage of a drop in the weights and land the spoils.

The John Gallagher trained gelding was last successful in a 6f contest at Bath 15 months ago when scoring by 2 1/2 lengths off a mark of 79.

Ladweb went on to finish runner-up twice off 84, and also ran very well over 5f at this venue when beaten just a length in a class 3 contest on soft ground off 85.

The five-year-old is now able to race in this class 4 affair off 76, 3lb lower than when last successful, and is potentially very well treated on the pick of his form.

Ladweb also comes into the contest having hinted at a return to form last time out when keeping on well to finish a never nearer five length sixth of 14 to over 5f on good ground at Leicester.

The step back up to 6f is sure to suit judged on that effort, and with soft ground holding no fears everything looks in place for a big run.

Selections:
14.10: Lightsome
14.40: Arabian Illusion
15.15: Sixties Sue
15.45: Palawan
16.20: Gale Force (NAP)
16.55: Ladweb (NB)
17.25: Tilstarr

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Author

David Metcalf

A lifelong Manchester United supporter, David has over 25 years’ experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a huge horse racing, football and greyhound fan and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR front man for a betting firm. David has also written for most of the top Premier League football fan websites, and produced a Cheltenham Festival guide with former eight-times champion national hunt jockey Peter Scudamore, MBE, after helping him to set up a syndicate for his trainer son Michael.