Magic City just the trick in Betfred Mile

Coral are paying five places on today’s Betfred Mile at Goodwood (3.05) and that makes course specialist Magic City look cracking each-way value.

The Richard Hannon’s gelding has won three of his five starts over course and distance, and came good at this time last season when landing a hat-trick of successes.

In the last of those, the five-year-old showed an excellent of foot to win going away by a length from Intransigent over course and distance off a mark of mark of 97.

The son of Elusive City was value for much more than the winning margin, and having been out up to a rating of 102 is now back down to 97.

That gives Magic City major claims from a handicapping perspective, especially as he looked to be coming back to his best when a length runner-up to The Rectifier over a mile at Salisbury last time out.

The drop back to 7f this afternoon is sure to suit, and with Richard Hughes in the saddle and a good draw to exploit in stall eight, everything looks in place for a big run.

There are plenty of dangers, and two worthy of plenty of respect in my book are Horsted Keynes and Velox.

The former is trained by the in-form Roger Varian, and has won four of his eight starts.

The four-year-old put in a career best effort on his penultimate start when a 3/4 length runner-up to Louis The Pious in the 28-runner Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot when he arguably should have won having been given too much to do.

Horsted Keynes failed to back up that effort in International Stakes at Ascot six days ago, but things didn’t go to plan in that contest and it would be no surprise to see him bounce back and go very close in a race which should be run to suit.

Velox is bidding to give trainer Luca Cumani his first winner in the race and looked a handicapper to keep onside when bolting up by three lengths at Sandown last time up.