Handicap aces head to Goodwood

Sir Gerard and Hinterland head the 66 entries to have stood their ground at the latest confirmation stage for the totesport Mile at Goodwood on August 4.

Formerly known as the Golden Mile, the £150,000 (€219,000) contest is one of the most prestigious handicaps on the calendar and was won last year by Unshakable.

Sir Gerard was last seen when winning the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot in fine style, while Hinterland won a valuable contest at Haydock after finishing fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup.

The weights are headed by Nayyir on 9st 10lb, with other notable entries including Lincoln winner Blythe Knight, Mark Prescott’s Spectait, Ed Dunlop’s Easy Air and Michael Stoute’s City Of Troy.

The only notable absentees are James Fanshawe’s recent Lingfield disappointment Cesare, winner of the Hunt Cup on his penultimate start, and Richard Hannon’s Marching Song.

“The horse was in the race but I thought that I would be tempted to run him on unsuitable ground and I didn’t want to do that,” Fanshawe said of Cesare.

“He has had a busy time of it of late and he wants decent ground so he will probably have an autumn campaign. We will rely on Sir Gerard.”

Jarvis has indicated that Hinterland could miss the race in favour of the totesport International at Ascot six days earlier.

By running in the Ascot event he can take advantage of a 3lb lower handicap mark.

The trainer told www.racingpost.co.uk: “His favoured race is the totesport International at Ascot because in that he’s off his old handicap mark plus a 3lb penalty for Sandown.

“If we waited for Goodwood he would be off his new mark, 6lb higher, which means he is 3lb better in at Ascot. He’s taken Sandown well and is in good form.”