Lucky 15 Tips: Gallic nobleman can take the first

It's Glorious Day Two at Goodwood, so of course that's where we're heading. It's a beautiful setting - do go if you get the opportunity - and a seven-race card gets underway at 13:50. Here's our Lucky 15 Tips for Wednesday July 31.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

13:50 - French Duke @ 9/2

A trappy and open-looking mile-and-a-half handicap, for three-year-olds.

My selection French Duke runs in the now-famous Wathnan Racing silks, is trained in Newmarket by Roger Varian, and will be ridden by James Doyle.

In four career spins to date the Sea The Stars colt has shown progressive form, inching forward every time, with the latest a very sound effort (beaten only 3.5l) in a similarly well-endowed handicap at the Royal meeting.

He runs here off the same mark (88), and as any repeat of Ascot puts him bang in the thick of it, just think what a little added improvement, a hugely possible outcome, might achieve? Don't forget - only four runs so far, and just two as a three-year-old.

His sire was a superstar. No evidence that the Duke is in that kind of class (who is?), but this might just be a stepping-stone to better things. My nap amongst the Lucky 15 selections.

14:25 - Jabaara @ 5/2

Good-looking daughter of Exceed And Excel, trained once again by Roger Varian, and who's on top? The Doyler, with the pair now hopefully chasing a quick double.

Different ownership - it's the famous Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum livery, and Jabaara is enjoying an excellent season with two wins in Listed company. She was then stepped up to a Group 1 for the Falmouth, and ran extremely well to get within 3.75l of impressive scorer Porta Fortuna.

This G3 should be absolutely up her street, and on bare official ratings she occupies the second-top spot. Brian Meehan's Kathmandu heads them all and rates an extremely serious threat.

I thought Jabaara's last spin though was the best run by any in this field, and I'm hoping for a repeat or better. She's handled herself with distinction at some pretty quirky tracks already (Chester, Newmarket, Carlisle) so the unique nature of Goodwood's challenging contours might not trouble her as much as it certainly could some of the others.

15:35 - Notable Speech @ 13/8

No Rosallion unfortunately, who has a little respiratory issue to overcome. He'd have been very skinny for this, but a colt favourite to beat him last time at Royal Ascot in the St James's Palace has a chance to get his own season nicely back on track.

Godolphin's Notable Speech ran a stinker last month, inexplicably, and faded tamely to beat only one home. That was too bad to be true and the Charlie Appleby stable could offer no explanation.

He was unbeaten beforehand, and this son of Dubawi numbered the 2000 Guineas among those successes, beating Rosallion no less by 1.5l. Can Charlie get him back? Aidan opposes with Henry Longfellow, a neck second at the Royal meeting, and these two three-year-olds appeal as by far the likeliest winners.

Still a cracking race; and Charlie said on Tuesday that Notable Speech comes here looking great. The trainer struck on day one, too, to get their week underway.

That'll do for me.

16:10 - Elladonna @ 4/1

A four-year-old filly hiked-up in class for this £30k contest over ten furlongs.

Elladonna gets the benefit of Ryan Moore on top, and that's quite some statement of intent. Trainer James Fanshawe reaches out to arguably the planet's top jock as Elladonna looks to defy a 3lb rise plus this elevation into Class 2 handicap company.

She's by a Lockinge winner so this trip perhaps shouldn't be a given; however, she's handled it beautifully so far, including at Nottingham under a big weight, and you really have to get home there.

Alexa - show me a bit of Ryan Moore magic on the Downs. Lovely ...

If you're playing take care, and as always, have fun.

This is an example of a Lucky 15. If you can improve upon my selections (of course you can), then go for it!

The odds can fluctuate between publishing our pieces and race-time. As a guide, a £0.50p win Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £317 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

Lucky 15 tips from Betfred Insights.