Five horses to follow at Goodwood and Galway on Friday

Tipster: Dave Nevison.

Best odds: 16-1.

Read more ➡️ Dave Nevison's Goodwood tips: high hopes for this 40-1 chance on Friday

Since reverting to hurdles this season, Kentucky River has continued the improvement he showed on the flat when trained by Ollie Sangster previously, and followed up a recent handicap hurdle win off a rating of 92 with a success last time out off a mark of 105. It certainly doesn’t look as though he has reached the top of his range just yet, and he's therefore my fancy here. 

It also seems highly likely that he will be able to show that improvement on the flat again, especially when taking on an extreme stamina test such as this. 

His last run on the flat was over the longest trip he has attempted so far, and came at the stiffest track in the country, plus he still looked as though he would be suited by even further than Pontefract’s 2m1f. 

Olly Murphy has booked Jack Nicholls for the ride, and the extra 3lb off his back might well count at the end of this stamina test.

Tipster: Nic Doggett.

Best odds: 33-1.

Read more ➡️ 2026 King George Qatar Stakes: runner-by-runner guide and 33-1 tip

Horses that were beaten in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot have a good record here - five of the last 12 winners of this ran in that Group 1 sprint- and Night Raider is sure to run well having done as well as he could in this year's renewal. 

Adaptable in terms of tactics, he looks the pick of those towards the head of the betting, but we've seen time and time again that there isn't much of a gap between the different levels of British sprinting. 

As a result, it's worth taking a chance on DICKENSIAN at 33s who rates a good each-way bet. Trained by Kevin Ryan - who won this race in 2011 with Masamah - the three-year-old colt has experience of this course, did well to defy a slow start on his reappearance, and remains open to further improvement having finished with running left when running under a penalty at York last time. 

Tipster: Katie Midwinter.

Best odds: 3-1.

Read more ➡️ Katie Midwinter's Friday tips: Six selections at Goodwood and Galway

Winner of the 2023 Vintage Stakes at this meeting, Haatem has gone on to place in two Classics since, as well as landing two Group Three successes plus a Listed win in the Wolferton Stakes.

So far this year, things haven't panned out well for the likeable five-year-old, but this could be a feasible opportunity for him to get off the mark for the season. He was entitled to improve for his return to action here in May but didn't get any run when joint-favourite at Royal Ascot last month in a race worth putting a line through.

This is only his third run of the season and he should be fresh enough to be at his best in this 1m1f contest. He's a talented performer on his day with Group One credentials at his very best, and holds solid claims for Richard Hannon.

Tipster: Donn McClean.

Best odds: 13-2.

Read more ➡️ Top tips for Friday from our experts

Fixation was impressive in winning the Ladies Derby at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

Strong in the market beforehand, Johnny Murtagh’s horse travelled well through his race for Georgie Benson, prominent in the group that chased the two breakaway leaders.  Still on the bridle as they raced inside the two-furlong marker, he picked up well when his rider asked him to.  He hit the front at the furlong marker, and he cleared away impressively to win by four lengths, leaving the impression that he had more in hand than the bare winning margin.

The handicapper raised him by 9lb for that win, but you had to have expected a hike of that type of magnitude.  He has raced just nine times, and just seven times on turf, so he has the potential to improve again on his rating of 90.  The third and fifth from the Ladies Derby, Cooley’s Mist and Ob La Di, finished first and second in a 13-furlong handicap at Leopardstown next time, a race from which the third horse Tatum has since come out and won too.  The form looks solid.

The step up to a mile and a half is a step into the unknown, but he stays 10 and a half furlongs well and, a half-brother to Cossack Cach, a winner over an extended two miles over hurdles and over fences, there is every chance that he will get the trip all right. 

Tipster: Johnny Ward.

Best odds: 15-2.

Read more ➡️ Johnny Ward's Friday tips: who "makes loads of appeal" at Galway?

Came from a hopeless position at Fairyhouse to somehow finish third, has run well at Galway, and is lightly raced so makes loads of appeal at 15-2 each-way in the headgear.