'We've got the right man on top' - who is keen on their Stewards' Cup runner?

Saturday: 3.20 Goodwood
Coral Stewards' Cup | 6f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

Ed Bethell describes the race as a “lottery”, but he has taken every possible step to give Regional the best chance of landing the £250,000 jackpot, including snapping up the services of Ryan Moore.

The lightly raced four-year-old travels to Goodwood after just two previous runs this summer, highlighted by an eyecatching Doncaster second over five furlongs last time out.

Burdened with top weight of 10st that day, Regional went into many notebooks and trackers after storming home to finish a neck behind Burning Cash, and it appears he has been trained to peak at Goodwood.

“Regional is in very good form and enjoyed a nice prep run over five furlongs at Doncaster last time,” Bethell said.

“He was a fast-finishing second and would have got up in one more stride. We’ve gone high [stall 27] in terms of the draw as they normally do well over six furlongs at Goodwood.

Ed Bethell: 'We’ve got the right man on top in Ryan Moore'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

“The Stewards’ Cup is a lottery and we’ll need luck. Lots of horses in the race go there in great form.

“However, the horse goes there in as good form as I can possibly get him at home, and we’ve got the right man on top in Ryan Moore.”

Commanche Falls bids for repeat win

The ground will be totally different from last year when Commanche Falls stayed on strongly to land this £250,000 cavalry charge by a neck from Gulliver, but trainer Michael Dods is still hopeful his five-year-old can stage a repeat performance.

After only 21 races, Commanche Falls has relatively low mileage for a sprinter of his age, and Dods has every right to believe there could be even more to come from a horse who has already won eight times.

“Commanche Falls is in good form,” Dods said. “Obviously, it was soft ground at Goodwood last year which steadied them up.

“He’s facing totally different conditions this time and my worry is that by the time he gets going the race might be over.”

Two of those wins came on ground officially described as good to firm at Ripon and Ayr, tracks which place an emphasis on speed, so there is no question of him not handling the underfoot conditions.

He is 2lb higher than 12 months ago, but proved himself as good, if not better, than ever when second to Rathbone on good to firm at Doncaster under 10st on his seasonal reappearance in April.

Dods also runs Tinto, who finished 13th behind his stablemate last year. “He would prefer a bit more cut in the ground, but appears to be drawn beside a bit of speed,” Dods said. “He’s very well too.”

What they say

Alastair Donald, racing manager to King Power Racing, owners of Chil Chil and Lampang
Chil Chil very much needed the run at Newbury. She has Group 1 form and we’re taking 5lb off with Harry Davies’s claim in a handicap. She'll like the quick ground. Lampang is enjoying a very good year and has won two of his three starts. He went off too fast near the front at Ascot and this has been the plan for a while. Hopefully, stall nine is a decent draw. He ran in the race 12 months ago, but is a better horse this year. We think he’ll go well.

Adam Ryan, assistant trainer to Kevin Ryan, trainer of Justanotherbottle and Rathbone
Justanotherbottle goes there in great form. He’s been running extremely well this year. He has good course form and loves that type of track. It was great to see Rathbone win the Scottish Stewards’ Cup at Hamilton last time. He’s not the most straightforward but is a very talented sprinter on his day. He handled downhill Hamilton well, so Goodwood shouldn’t be a problem for him.

Ed Walker, trainer of Great Ambassador and Popmaster
I’m excited to have two big chances of winning the Stewards’ Cup. Great Ambassador is coming back to form as he ran much more like his old self at Newbury last time and will step forward again. He’s 11lb higher than when he finished third from a bad draw last year, but he’ll be much better suited by the ground this time. He went on to destroy the Ayr Gold Cup field off a mark only 1lb lower than this, beaten only by a horse on the stands’ rail who was in a different race to him. I have absolutely no doubt Great Ambassador can win off 107. It’s just a case of whether he’s back to his very best yet and whether he gets the luck in running they’ll all need. Popmaster is in form and on the up. He’s beginning to show on the course what I always felt he had in him. He ran a really good race in the Wokingham and I’d love to think this will be his last handicap before he moves up in class.

Ed Walker: 'I’d love to think this will be his last handicap before he moves up in class'Credit: Edward Whitaker

John Quinn, trainer of Mr Wagyu
He’s been in tremendous form and has gone up in the weights again. Horses which finished behind him at Epsom and in front of him at Ascot are better treated now, but he loves Goodwood - he won the consolation race at the meeting last year - and I’m hopeful he’ll run well again.

Steve Brown, assistant to Julie Camacho, trainer of Makanah and Raatea
We’re happy with their draws. They came out quite early and we decided to go low – hopefully there will be a slight advantage on that side. Both horses are in good form and both go there with a chance. Makanah has been running consistently well, and gone up in the weights as a result. His last three runs have been over five furlongs, and we feel that stepping back up to six furlongs will suit him. He ran very well when second to Dakota Gold over that trip at York in May. Raatea won nicely at Newcastle last time. He’s a very capable horse on his day.

George Boughey, trainer of Inver Park
He was a good winner over seven furlongs at Ascot last time, and drops back in trip. He’s in very good form. I don’t think he’s ideally drawn in the middle, but believe that if he handles the faster track, then he should go very close.

James Ferguson, trainer of First Folio
He always runs a good race when he gets his favoured fast ground, and we’re looking forward to taking part in what is always a highly competitive sprint handicap. If he takes a step forward from his sixth to Rohaan in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, then he would have a wonderful chance.

Roger Teal, trainer of Whenthedealinsdone
He got badly hampered late on in an Ascot handicap last time. He was coming with a nice run at the time and that trouble cost him whatever chance he had. He’s won at Goodwood over five furlongs and I’m confident he’ll be suited by the six there. We think he’s got a nice draw in stall 25. It’s the Stewards’ Cup – a bit of a lottery – but he’s in good form and has a definite chance. We ran him in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket first time out this season and he ran a bit flat. His blood was wrong several days later, so we had to give him a bit of time off and he didn’t reappear until Ascot this month. Ascot was a bit of a prep for the Stewards’ Cup, but it wasn’t the intention to give him just two runs before Goodwood, it’s just the way things worked out. Let’s hope that problem with the blood count turns out to be a blessing in disguise!

John McConnell, trainer of Coachello
He’s my first runner at Goodwood and it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect in a 28-runner handicap on this horse’s debut for us. He was very solid in France and we’re hopeful he isn’t far away from his mark on what he’s shown us. We’ll see how he fares before making a plan for the rest of the season.

Saturday previews:

1.40 Goodwood: 'We've frightened a few people off' – which in-form type might take the beating?

2.10 Goodwood: 'We've got him in a very good place' – who has high Summer Handicap hopes?

2.45 Goodwood: 'She wasn't far behind Sea La Rosa at Haydock' – Lillie Langtry quotes

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