Horsebetting.com give their 2018 Goodwood Cup betting tips for the feature race on day one of Glorious Goodwood; Tuesday, 31 July. Stradivarius is a worthy odds-on favourite to retain his crown in Group 1 contest over 2m at the Sussex Venue. Jessica Harrington trained Irish raider Torcedor looks the obvious danger. Call To Mind, who is owned by The Queen, appeals each-way. For full details why, read our in-depth 2018 Goodwood Cup betting tips preview.Stradivarius can retain his Goodwood Cup crownStradivarius is odds-on to retain his Goodwood Cup crown on the opening day of the prestigious Glorious Goodwood meeting on Tuesday, 31 July (15:35) and looks a worthy red-hot favourite to do just that in the seven-runner Group 1 contest over 2m.
The John Gosden trained colt made the most of his three-year-old weight allowance 12 months ago when staying on strongly to beat 2015 and 2016 winner Big Orange by 1 3/4 lengths. He was ridden then by Andrea Atzeni, who is once again in the saddle as a result of Frankie Dettori picking up a ban.
Stradivarius comes into this year’s renewal having won both his starts this season impressively. After cruising to a very easy three-length success in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup at York, this son of Sea The Stars produced a career best effort when landing the Group 1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June.
After travelling well on the heels of the leaders, he was produced to take up the running at the furlong marker and immediately challenged by top class French stayer Vazirabad. The pair locked horns in a terrific tussle, but it was Stradivarius that wanted it more and found plenty when asked to assert close home and score by three-quarters of a length.
It was a performance which oozed both class and guts. Stradivarius also had the re-opposing Torcedor and Desert Skyline in-behind, so there is no reason he should not confirm the form with that pair.
He also looks set to have his ideal underfoot conditions and is two from two under Atzeni. Stradivarius’ profile for this is rock solid, so he looks impossible to oppose and therefore has to be our our main bet.Irish raider Torcedor the obvious dangerTorcedor finished third behind Stradivarius in the Gold Cup and looks the one most likely to give him most to think about once again. The six-year-old, who hails from the top Irish dual purpose yard of Jessica Harrington, held every chance a furlong from home in the 2m 4f contest and battled on well all the way to the line to be beaten just a length.
Prior to that, he had scooted up by five lengths in a Group 3 over 2m at Ascot. Torcedor is clearly thriving at present and has some top class form to his name, having beaten Order Of St George last year in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes at The Curragh before finding that rival only half-a-length too good in the Group 2 Long Distance Cup at Ascot.
The son of Fastnet Rock is a tough sort who always gives it his best shot and goes particularly well for jockey Colm O’Donoghue, who has won three times and been placed on three other occasions on him in eight starts.
There is no obvious reason why Torcedor should turn the tables with Stradivarius, but there is not much between them and this small field may well suit his running style. It makes him look the main danger to the defending Goodwood Cup champion.Call To Mind can’t be discounted The Queen has seen her famous colours carried to victory twice before in this contest courtesy of Apprentice (1965) and Gaulois (1966). She is represented by Call To Mind, who is unexposed at the 2m trip and looks capable of putting in a bold show
Trained by William Haggas, this four-year-old is one from one at the venue having landed the Listed 1m 6f March Stakes last August. He went on to finish an excellent short-head second in a Group 2 over 1m 5f at Chantilly on his final start last season
Call To Mind has had just three starts in 2018 and was far from disgraced in the second of those when a 3 1/4 lengths third behind Stradivarius in the Yorkshire Cup. He has since gone to produce a career-best effort when landing the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes in America.
He dug deep to get the job done across the Atlantic on what was his first try at the 2m trip of this. It clearly suited Call To Mind and he looks the type to progress further as a stayer, with talk in some quarters of a tilt at the Melbourne Cup come November.
The Goodwood Cup is much tougher than the race he won in New York, and Call To Mind faces a mountain to climb in trying to turn around the Yorkshire Cup form with Stradivarius, but he cannot be totally discounted as he hails from a yard in red-hot form. At the odds on offer, he therefore gets our each-way vote in this.Your Next Bet
