While John Quinn has kept his powder dry with Caribbean Coral, it has been dampened somewhat by all the rain this week.
The Malton trainer decided to give his useful sprinter a break and freshen him up for another tilt at the Vodafone Stewards' Cup, in which he ran much better than his final placing suggests last year.
The six-year-old coped with the mud when lifting the Northern Rock Gosforth Park Cup last season, but connections believe he is best served by quicker ground.
And although he has done most of his winning at the minimum trip, he did score over six furlongs in a Brighton maiden as a two-year-old for Chris Wall, and his current trainer believes that the sharp six at Goodwood is ideal.
On a point of handicapping, he is attractively weighted, 12lb lower than when he contested last year's Stewards' Cup and his two successes in 2004 were gained off higher marks.
When he short-headed Plateau in the Vodafone Dash at Epsom he was a pound higher than today and he followed up at Newcastle off a career-best 96 rating.
It usually takes a couple of races to find his feet and he started favourite on his third start in his attempt to win the Vodafone Dash for the second consecutive year, but lost his chance with a slow start, which he tends to do, and saw precious little daylight after.
He didn't have much luck either in the Wokingham Stakes at the Royal meeting where he was cannoned into at the start and was putting in his best work at the finish under a considerate ride.
Six days later, he was in action again in the Gosforth Park Cup and never threatened a repeat win.
His trainer felt the race had come too soon for him and that he ran flat and it was decided to put him away until Goodwood. He wears a visor for the first time. His five unsuccessful efforts have resulted in him being dropped 6lb since the start of the season and, while I have reservations about the ground, I am sticking to him and he will not be written off, whatever fate awaits him this time.
Quinn also saddles last year's runner-up Fantasy Believer, who races off the same mark as when overcoming trouble and a sluggish start to be first home of his group only to find Pivotal Point had gone beyond recall on the opposite side.
Fantasy Believer has produced two solid placed efforts since winning at Epsom at the end of June and won't mind the conditions. He is a leading contender again.
The betting suggests Dandy Nicholls holds the key to this ultra-competitive handicap as two of his runners, Lafi and Gift Horse, dominate the market. Lafi, injured after landing a gamble in the 2004 Wokingham, turned in his best effort when narrowly beaten in a Group Three event at Sandown. But I prefer Gift Horse, who has not been seen since justifying strong support in a handicap at Epsom.
Nicholls, who won the prize in 2000 with Tayseer, makes a five-pronged attack. He also runs Merlin's Dancer, Colonel Cotton, and the trail-blazing Pieter Brueghel who could set it up for one of the high numbers.
Northern stables hold a strong hand and it will be disappointing if the winner isn't housed in North Yorkshire, with David Barron also doubly represented by Partners In Jazz and Rising Shadow. Out After Dark and Connect look the pick of the southern contingent but I hope to see Caribbean Coral appear late on the scene with a decisive run.
