An outstanding field of sprinters will step out in Saturday’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville and we are set for another exciting edition of the $1 million feature race.
Defending champion Vega Magic has not been seen at the races in 2018, but he is a proven first-up performance and is the $2.70 favourite in The Goodwood betting.
Vega Magic has been a notable performance throughout his entire racing career so far, but he has gone to another level since transferring to the Lindsay Park team and will be extremely difficult to beat again on Saturday.
The Lope De Vega gelding won The Goodwood in his first start for the Euroa-based operation and resumed in spring for consecutive wins in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m), before finishing second in the $10 million The Everest (1200m).
Having failed to fire in his last two spring starts, Vega Magic has trialled extremely well in the lead-up to this race and will be ridden by champion hoop Damien Oliver on Saturday.
Only one other horses is currently available at The Goodwood odds of less-than $10 and Viddora looks like terrific value at her current $9.50 quote.
The I Am Invincible mare has stamped herself as one of the country’s best sprinters throughout the last 12 months and broke through for a maiden Group 1 win in the Winterbottom takes (1200m) in December, amidst a preparation that also included a close second in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and win in the Magic Millions Snippets (1200m).
She was unlucky not be scraped from the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago, but is sure to have taken plenty of benefit from her first-up run for second in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1000m) last month.
She will need some luck from the outset after drawing barrier 11, but she is well and truly up to the class of this race and can salute at terrific odds.
One horse that warrants interest at double-figure odds is Voodoo Lad ($10), who also has not been seen at the races in 2018.
Voodoo Lad has been a strong and consistent performance since transferring to the care of Darren Weir and he is perhaps unlucky not to have posted a Group 1 win.
The I Am Invincible gelding flew home to finish second in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) upon resuming in 2017 and produced a similar performance when resuming in spring for a comfortable win in the Group 3 The Heath (1100m).
Jockey Ben Allen will have plenty of options on the horse from the rails draw and he has the ability to be right in the finish of The Goodwood.
Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane ($11), quality sprinter Thronum ($11) and Secret Agenda ($11) are all live chances in The Goodwood, while there’s a case to be made for the likes of Super Cash ($18), Viridine ($16) and Missrock ($26) at longer odds.