Who has the right pedigree to excel in a Molecomb test of raw speed?

Wednesday: 3.00 Goodwood
Markel Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) | 5f | 2yo | ITV/RTV

This race is about speed. Raw speed. Just look at the recent winners to get an idea of the fast horses who have excelled in this test. Cotai Glory (2013), Havana Grey (2015) and Liberty Beach (2019) were at their best at five furlongs and fast juveniles have won the last two.

Steel Bull and Armor are the pair in question and both failed to record another victory – last year's winner Armor is already at stud. This evidently isn't a race that throws up horses who are going to improve for further in future, it's a contest that favours horses who are ready now.

So how can we find the horse who is the fastest right now? Pedigrees can help in this instance and there is no doubt that Walbank is bred to be fast and to peak as a juvenile. His sire is the former sprinter Kodiac and his dam, No Lippy, was a five-furlong speedster who retired at two.

Walbank went off a hot favourite for the Norfolk Stakes but couldn't match strides with winner The Ridler. But two winners of this race in the last ten years were beaten in that contest at Royal Ascot and the switch to this downhill sprint track should suit Walbank.

Three of the last ten winners were beaten in the Windsor Castle Stakes at the royal meeting and that brings in Rocket Rodney and Eddie’s Boy, who finished second and third at Ascot behind Little Big Bear.

They went on to finish first and third on their next runs, with Rocket Rodney again on top, in a Listed race at Sandown next time and Eddie's Boy has since gone two better by winning the Super Sprint at Newbury.

The question is: has Eddie's Boy improved enough since Ascot and Sandown to reverse the places with Rocket Rodney? Racing Post Ratings suggest he still has 6lb to find with him.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

'Rock-solid' Rocket Rodney set to fly

While Rocket Rodney looked to have outrun his odds at Royal Ascot, the two-year-old's recent triumph at Sandown proved his impressive turn of foot was no fluke.

The George Scott-trained gelding was priced 14-1 when finishing just a neck second to Little Big Bear in the Windsor Castle Stakes, with the winner since going on to record a comfortable Group 3 success at the Curragh.

Rocket Rodney went on to score in the Listed Dragon Stakes over the reopposing Eddie's Boy and Scott believes there is still more to come from his exciting juvenile.

"I've been pleased with him since Sandown, he hasn't done a huge amount but his work has been solid," the Newmarket-based trainer said. "His form has worked out particularly well and this seems an obvious race to run him in, considering he's won at the track.

"Physically he seems to be thriving. He's a stronger, more complete horse than ever and I still feel he's in a maturing stage of his life right now. He's got more strengthening up and growing to do, but I'm very pleased with his condition going into the race.

"Mentally, he's rock solid. I don't think I have a more chilled horse in the whole yard. The prelims won't be an issue for him what so ever."

Rocket Rodney: the mount of Daniel Muscutt is drawn wide in stall eightCredit: Mark Cranham

Although Rocket Rodney holds an entry for the Gimcrack Stakes at York's Ebor meeting next month, Scott is determined to keep his two-year-old over five furlongs where his turn of foot will be most lethal.

"He'll stay at five furlongs for as long as we can," he said. "He's a fast horse with a lot of natural speed, so until we run out of options over this distance we'll stay here for the time being.

"At some stage we'll step him up but I don't see any rush to run him over six furlongs."

What they say

Craig Lidster, trainer of Dickieburd
We were delighted with him at Chester. We always liked him going into that race after a nice run at Newcastle, his gate speed there paved his way to the drop back to five furlongs. He's come out of his win bouncing, he's really well and we like to dream – we're going to go and give it everything we've got. We know it's going to be fast and furious and we'll see what he's got left in the tank.

Archie Watson, trainer of Eddie's Boy
He has come out of his Newbury win well and is in great form at home. I hope he can run another very good race.

Adam Ryan, assistant to Kevin Ryan, trainer of Thunder Moor
He ran a big race in the Norfolk, obviously he just stuck out a little bit on the wing which didn't help him. He's got a lot of speed though and the track at Goodwood should help him down to the ground. We've got a lot of faith in him and he should run his race.

Dave Loughnane, trainer of Walbank
He's not done anything wrong all season, he has a lot of ability and we couldn't be happier with him coming into Goodwood. He's been just a big baby in his races so far but I really think Royal Ascot made a man out of him, he's come out of the race really well.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Trillium
She's a very good filly who stepped up from her first run to her second when bolting up at Newbury in fine style. That was over six furlongs but she's got a fantastic turn of foot, as you saw last time, so I'm not worried about going down to five furlongs and she receives a bit of weight as well for being a filly. As you'd expect, it's a competitive Molecomb but I think she could make her presence felt.
Reporting by Catherine Macrae

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