Betway ambassador Andrew Balding talks through all his Saturday runners at Glorious Gooodwood – The Sun

We were thrilled to win it three years ago with Dancing Star and we hope Stone Of Destiny can run well on Saturday.

13:50

The Stewards’ Cup Consolation race is a fantastic initiative – it’s effectively a 0-90 handicap for £75,000, which is a lot of money for this grade.

It has been the target for Ballyquin for a while. He ran well at Newmarket last time and we hope the track will suit him.

We have no idea about the draw, but he is straightforward tactically. He can make his own running or get cover and try to pounce late on.

I’m pleased to have secured the services of James Doyle, who is a top jockey, and fingers crossed he can run well. I think he has a decent each-way chance.

Andrew Balding is hoping for a good run from Ballyquin in the opener on Saturday

14:25

We’re stepping Shailene up in distance for the Summer Handicap and she shapes like she should stay. I think she’s quite a well-handicapped filly as she’s won and placed in Listed races.

We were very happy with her when she won in Italy two starts back and I could see her running into the places. The ground will be quickening up, which she will like, and I think she’s quite a big price.

15:00

We don’t have a runner in the Lillie Langtry, so I’ll be cheering on Manuela De Vega. She ran really well in the Oaks, although I suppose they may not run her if it gets too quick.

If she doesn’t take her chance, last year’s winner Pilaster might be the one.

15:40

Stone Of Destiny was last out of the hat for the draw on Thursday, which pretty much sums up the horse’s luck. He’s just never had things go his way. It will happen at some stage, but we just don’t know when.

In an ideal world we would have gone for 11 or 12, but we’re stuck with 27 and there’s nothing we can do about that. We’re in the lap of the gods really and I think we’d need a bit of a miracle from there.

They release some fresh ground on the far side, which is why I would have preferred a low to middle draw. He was fourth in last year’s Commonwealth Cup and he didn’t actually run too badly over five furlongs at Ascot last month.

Let’s hope they go really fast and he can pick most of them off in the closing stages.

As always, it’s a wide open race but I can see why Charlie Hills’ Khaadem is favourite. He has some very solid form and showed last time that he is better than a handicapper.

Trainer Andrew Balding hoping Stone Of Destiny can land a bit of luck in the Stewards’ Cup

16:15

We run Berkshire Rocco in the seven furlong maiden and he has a nice draw in stall one. We were pleased with him first time out at Ascot and he can improve for that. Great Ambassador’s form is pretty strong, but I hope our horse will go close.

16:50

We have two in the seven furlong handicap. Hero Hero wouldn’t want the ground to dry out too much. We’ll have to take a look in the morning and then make a decision.

He is a decent horse and well equipped to go close in a race like this, but he’s not got a great draw so we’ll need some luck. Fox Leicester is in great form at home and has won a couple of races this season. He’d have a chance on his best form, but stall 13 is certainly not what we wanted.

17:25

We have no runner in the closing apprentice handicap. It looks a fiendishly difficult race to unpick – I wouldn’t really know where to start to be honest.

The Godolphin runner Gifts Of Gold is the most unexposed in the field and he could be anything after an impressive win at Salisbury back in June. I also hope that Rotherwick runs well for Will Carver, who is based with us and doing very well.

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