In the past 10-seasons the Ed Walker yard has operated at a strike rate of just 8.5% in the month of April, so the fact that they have their horses running at an RTF rate of 62% in the last 14-days would suggest that they are slightly further forwards than they would normally be. CARADOC made a pleasing comeback for the yard when 5th at Newbury earlier this month, making decent late headway from the rear of the field on the stands side to finish 2-lengths behind the progressive winner Modern News. The 4 horses who finished in front of him all raced down the centre or far side of the track that day, so we can perhaps upgrade the run, especially as his last 3 victories have come over 10-furlongs and that run was over just a mile. As a son of Camelot, he would be entitled to need further and although his sire doesn’t have a great record at Goodwood, he did run well to finish 2nd here in July on his only previous start at the Sussex track. This race looks much easier than that Newbury contest and importantly he has already proved himself capable in this grade, which cannot be said of many of his rivals. It will be disappointing if he can’t go close on these terms.
