Panther good value for another Cup success
The Tom Dascombe-trained six-year-old, available at 7-2 for this afternoon’s feature, has been in terrific form this season, starting off with an impressive victory in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester, and following up with an easy success in another Group 3 at Sandown. On the back of those victories he was just 5-1 to land the Ascot Gold Cup but the combination of very fast ground and the two-and-a-half-mile trip found him out. He certainly wasn’t disgraced, finishing fourth, beaten five lengths behind Leading Light, with one of today’s rivals, former Gold Cup winner Estimate, two places in front of him.
It’s a minor concern that he ran on very soft ground at Longchamp less than three weeks ago, but the return to Goodwood is a positive, as is the two-mile trip. Today’s going is a little faster than ideal, but he has shown in the past that he can cope with the conditions, notably when runner-up to Masked Marvel in the 2011 St Leger.
