Dave Metcalf has over 35 years of experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a life-long horse racing and football fan, and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR frontman for major betting firm Betfred.
Dave has written for At The Races, provided betting previews for the 2010 World Cup via a website he owned. It was the first time they had covered any football event. He also appeared weekly on Sing When You’re Winning – football and general sports betting show on MUTV to provide odds and tips alongside former Manchester United striker Lou Macari.
Progressive Haggas trained gelding has plenty going for him
The big betting race at Goodwood on Friday is the Golden Mile Handicap (14:45). In a typically wide-open renewal, the progressive Montatham has lots in his favour and looks the one to be on.
This William Haggas trained four-year-old has a fine strike rate of 44 per cent having won four oh his nine starts. He has also made the frame on three occasions.
Montatham comes into this right at the top of his game having won on return to action at Newmarket, before running a blinder when beaten just over a length by Dark Vision in the 23-runner Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot off a mark of 97.
The son of Showcasing fared best of those drawn low and finished half-a-length in front of the third home Pogo, who has since won a Listed race and finished third in a Group 1 in France off an official rating of 104
That gives the form a strng look and the Royal Hunt Cup is one of the hottest, is not arguably the hottest, mile handicaps of the season.
Montatham got put up 100 for that, but it was not enough to stop him gaining his revenge on Dark Vision last time out in the Coral Challenge where he dug deep to hold on and prevail by a short-head.
Pattern performer in the making
He showed a really likeable attitude that day. Dark Vision has come out and since landed a Listed contest off an official rating of 109.
It makes a further 4lb rise in the weights for Montatham look on the lenient side, given his upwardly mobile profile.
Montatham appeals as the type that could make up into a pattern performer and you often need that type to win a race of this nature.
The Hamdan Al Maktoum owned gelding also has his optimum conditions. He also hails from a yard in fine form and operating at a strike rate of just under 28 per cent in the last 14 days at the time of writing.
So, taking everything into account, Montatham looks a worthy market leader at 6/1 with Betfred to go in again under regular pilot Jim Crowley.
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Given that he wasn’t beaten far when fourth to Montatham in the Coral Charge, the Andrew Balding trained Zwayyan looks a big player and capable of making his presence felt.
After racing in mid-division, the seven-year-old made good headway out wide three from home before sticking to the task well to go down by just two lengths off a mark of 98.
It was a fine return to action after 298 days on the sidelines and Zwayyan is entitled to strip much fitter for the outing.
He is also able to race in this off 1lb lower and now meets Montatham on 4lb better terms, so that means that there is little between the pair.
Zwayyan’s current rating of 97 is also just 1lb higher than when last successful at Wolverhampton in March of last year when running on strongly to beat Breden by a length.
He also went on to finish a solid third in the Shergar Cup Mile at Ascot off 98, so has a big shout at the weights on the pick of his form.
Zwayyan has also won four times and been placed on six occasions in 21 starts over the trip and is ideally suited by a strongly run race – something which he looks sure to get here.
The King Power Racing owned son of Pivotal looks to have more going for him than odds of 20/1 with Paddy Power would suggest.
That firm pay four places, so Zwayyan looks well worth considering in the Golden Mile Handicap from an each-way betting perspective.
Blown By Wind another each-way player in Golden Mile Handicap
Trainer Mark Johnston has a tremendous record with his runners at this meeting and launches a three-pronged attack on the race. The pick of the trio could be Blown By Wind, provided he gets away on level terms.
This four-year-old looked as good as ever when scoring at Newmarket back in June when only having to be ridden out to readily beat the aforementioned Pogo by half-a-length off a mark of 100.
He was receiving just 3lb from the now 114-rated runner-up, so that gives the form a solid look in relation to this.
Nothing has gone right for Blown By Wind in three subsequent outings as a result of blowing the start and being slowly away.
In the first of those at Royal Ascot he made eye-catching late headway to finish a nine length 13th of 23 to Motakhayal in the Britannia Stakes.
Blown by Wind has since put in two similar efforts at Newmarket. In the first of those he was a fast finishing length runner-up to Arigato off a mark of 107 having forfeited a huge amount of ground at the start.
The son of Invincible Spirit then again ran better than the bare result suggests when making good late headway when a seven-length 10 of 17 to Motakhayal in the Bunbury Cup.
Blown By Wind is able to race in this off an unchanged mark of 106. That makes him a player at the weights judged on his win over Pogo.
Hence, at 25/1 with BetVictor who also pay four places, he had to feature as another potential each-way punt in the Golden Mile Handicap.
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