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Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Handicap Stakes (gbbplus Race)

16:20 Goodwood Sat 29 Aug 2026 1m6f0y Class 4 Good to Firm 12 runners

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Mr Fox’s call

Zachary Hickes silks

Zachary Hickes

SPECULATIVE Advised 13/8 Est. 32%

🥈 2ND

Mr Fox says

Zachary Hickes (SR:80, 13/8) leads the field on ability and carries a favourable 9-7 despite stepping up in class (↑1), which Roger Varian's yard (20% strike rate, 670 runners) handles routinely with well-bred improvers. The market has shortened 6% since opening, consistent with stable confidence, and at 4 years old this horse has the most upside in the field. Jack Mitchell (13%, 931 runners) is a reliable booking. The only genuine concern is DistFit:? at 1m6f — this trip may be unexplored territory — but Varian regularly targets stamina trips with progressive types, and the SR gap over the next-best (Arcturus Flame at 81, Educator at 76) is meaningful when combined with the weight advantage over top-weights. Each-way alternative: Arcturus Flame. Main danger: Arcturus Flame — Arcturus Flame (SR:81, 7/2) actually matches Zachary Hickes on SR, has shortened 8% in the market, Cieren Fallon aboard at 19% strike rate is the most potent jockey booking in the race, and Course:W0P1 shows Goodwood familiarity — if the step up in class (↑1) is within its compass, it is the most credible threat.

Verify· #14925

Full result

Winner: Gooloogong (IRE) at SP 7/2. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Gooloogong silks Gooloogong Fox #4 George Baker · Benoit de la Sayette 9/1
  2. 2 Zachary Hickes silks Zachary Hickes Fox #1 Roger Varian · Jack Mitchell 5/4
  3. 3 Russian Rumour silks Russian Rumour Jonathan Portman · Olivia Tubb(5) 22/1
  4. 4 Appier silks Appier Tony Carroll · David Probert 11/1
  5. 5 Arcturus Flame silks Arcturus Flame Fox #2 James Owen · Cieren Fallon 11/4
  6. 6 Taritino silks Taritino Joe Tickle · Taylor Fisher 14/1
  7. 7 Caprelo silks Caprelo Hughie Morrison · Rob Hornby 16/1
  8. 8 Bright Legend silks Bright Legend Faye Bramley · Clifford Lee 25/1
  9. 9 Scarlet Moon silks Scarlet Moon Archie Watson · Pierre-Louis Jamin 16/1
  10. — Mr Freedom silks Mr Freedom Sheena West · Kieran O'Neill 10/1
  11. — Educator silks Educator Fox #3 Henrietta C Knight · Daniel Tudhope 11/1
  12. — Two Plus Two silks Two Plus Two Ed de Giles · Gina Mangan 16/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Zachary Hickes silks Zachary Hickes 13/8 🥈 2ND
  2. 2 Arcturus Flame silks Arcturus Flame 7/2 5TH
  3. 3 Educator silks Educator 17/2
  4. 4 Gooloogong silks Gooloogong 9/1 SP 7/2 🏆 WON