17 Sprinters In 2015 The Goodwood Field

The 2015 The Goodwood field has been released and a competitive field of 17 sprinters are set to contest the Group 1 event at Morphettville on Saturday.

Hucklebuck will return to racing in the 2015 The Goodwood at Morphettville this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Hucklebuck will return to racing in the 2015 The Goodwood at Morphettville this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Hucklebuck is one of three Group 1 winners that have been included in The Goodwood field and he will carry the equal top weight of 58 and a half kilograms when he returns to racing this weekend.

The Elvstroem gelding started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a comfortable victory in the Listed Durbridge Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on October 18 and stamped himself as an Emirates Stakes contender when he beat a strong field in the Group 3 Yellowglen Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

Hucklebuck was a slight drifter in the lead-up to the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m), but he produced the strongest performance of his racing career to date to record a maiden win at the highest level of racing.

Lucky Hussler chased Hucklebuck home in the Emirates Stakes and the talented duo will do battle once again in The Goodwood this weekend.

The five-year-old was given a good stint in the spelling paddock following his tough Emirates Stakes effort and he returned to racing with a fast-finishing victory in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 27 and he was far from disgraced when sixth behind Dissident in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 18.

The other Group 1 winner in the 2015 The Goodwood field is Wez Hunter-trained Smokin’ Joey, who has the chance to become the first horse in over a century to win the time-honored race in back-to-back years.

Smokin’ Joey stormed home from the tail of the field to win The Goodwood last year and he is taking stronger form into the 2015 edition of the race following a win in the Carlyon Cup and a close second in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m).

One of the most interesting runners in the 2015 The Goodwood field is Lord Of The Sky, who has finally started to live up to his potential during the 2015 Autumn Racing Carnival.

Lord Of The Sky failed to fire in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 28, but he produced a much stronger performance to finish fourth in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 14 before he was only narrowly denied a maiden win at Group 1 level by Chautauqua in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.

Another sprinter that went extremely close to winning a Group 1 event during the 2015 Autumn Racing Carnival is Gregers and she will have the chance to go one better in The Goodwood after finishing an extremely close second behind Miracles Of Life in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 2.

Miracles Of Life will not contest The Goodwood, but the Robert Sangster Stakes is still set to be a key form reference for The Goodwood after both Politeness and Vain Queen were also included in the entries for the Group 1 event.

The Peter Moody-trained duo of Flamberge and Thermal Current, consistent sprinter Riziz, Irwin Stakes winner Daytona Grey, Western Australian galloper Black Heart Bart, Oakleigh Plate runner-up Under The Louvre, Ryan Balfour-trained Light It Up, the in-form Yesterday’s Songs and Doug Harrison-trained Tudor round out the 2015 The Goodwood field.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.