Hanson: Spot Plays for Goodwood July 31

Day 2 of the 2024 Goodwood Festival on Wednesday is highlighted by the Sussex (G1), but the unfortunate withdrawal of Rosallion has reduced its appeal a bit from both a sporting perspective and as a betting proposition.

Both of my plays on Tuesday's opener missed the mark, though Wolf of Badenoch gave it the old college try when finishing second best in the Vintage (G2) at 10-1. The bankroll now stands at $540, with each win play worth 5% of the outstanding balance.

Here are two horses I'll be following before the Sussex:

Race 2: Oak Tree (G3), 9:25 a.m. ET

Hopping onto a "wise guy" horse is not unknown to me, and group stakes newcomer #10 Stop the Calvary (10-1) has definitely been getting some pre-race attention for this seven-furlong test for fillies and mares, which is comprised mostly of three-year-olds like herself.

The daughter of Lope de Vega and Group 3 winner Cartiem won impressively on debut at Haydock last fall, struggled over a heavy Newmarket strip in the Bosra Sham S. in November, and then didn't reappear until earlier this month in a minor handicap at Chester. Saddled with 137 pounds while facing males, Stop the Calvary exploded from near the rear of the field to win by two lengths.

How that form will translate into a Group 3 race, which includes a couple of rivals that have run respectably at Group 1 level recently, remains to be seen. She's certainly less exposed than most of these, though, and her two wins were done in a fashion to suggest she might be of this caliber. 

Race 3: Molecomb (G2), 10 a.m. ET

This five-furlong dash for two-year-olds has 16 entered, and quite a few are of solid quality. I'll take a shot with stakes newcomer #11 Soldier's Heart (8-1), a son of 2017 Molecomb winner Havana Grey and a full brother to the multiple Group 3-winning three-year-old sprinter Elite Status, who I've endorsed in this space a time or two.

Second best in his debut over the all-weather at Lingfield to Al Qudra, who subsequently finished a close fifth in the Coventry (G2) and first in the Pat Eddery S. at Ascot, Soldier's Heart rebounded impressively to win a maiden over the Molecomb course and distance by 3 3/4 lengths. While he concedes crucial stakes experience to several of these, he showed the makings of a potential Group-quality colt in his graduation effort.