Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Wednesday, 23 September - Goodwood & Perth
Charlie heads to Goodwood on Wednesday for his best bet
It's a busy day of racing action in the UK and Ireland, and Charlie McCann is here with his exclusive free horse racing tips - only at FreeBets.
2:40pm Goodwood - Storm Star
Conditions were described as Good at Goodwood, with a dry forecast for the meeting.
David Menuisier has booked William Buick for the ride on Tribal Chief, who will likely win if he gets away from the stalls on terms. That said, he has begun to lose more and more ground at the start of his race, and the stable have not saddled a winner in twelve weeks and seventy-one runners. If Buick works the oracle and the five-year-old break with the rest of the field, his odds will plummet dramatically in-running, but that is a big IF.
STORM STAR remains a turf maiden after seven starts on grass – four from eleven on the all-weather – but I thought he ran his best race yet at Doncaster last time when he raced prominently in a contest where it paid to be held up off the pace. In the circumstances, I thought he ran well to be beaten just over three-and-a-half lengths from a 2lbs higher mark.
The selection is now 4lbs lower than his last winning mark, which was on the All-Weather Finals Day in April 2025, and Oisin Murphy returns to the saddle for the first time since January.
Oliver Show heads the market in some lists, having finished second over course and distance on his penultimate start from a 1lb lower mark on soft ground. He had previously met trouble in running when fourth here at the Glorious meeting over 7f, but preference is for Storm Star.
Recommendation: Storm Star - 7/2 with bet365
3:15pm Goodwood - Lion’s Pride
Naqeeb caused a 33/1 shock when landing the listed Foundation Stakes twelve months ago, but he has every chance of following up 12 months on. He showed his love for the track and trip when a short head second to Boiling Point in a similar contest back in the spring and is weighted to reverse the form on 6lbs better terms. I am surprised to see Boiling Point head the market carrying his 3lbs penalty.
Respond drops down to a more suitable trip, having failed to stay at Windsor (11.5f+) on soft ground last month in the race Constitution Hill should have raced in. Note, had the former Champion Hurdler finished in the first three in that race, which he would have in that ground, he would now be in quarantine for a trip to the Melbourne Cup.
Owner Michael Buckley and Nicky Henderson pandered to the media (including social) and made the premature decision to go to Kempton instead of waiting to see if the rain arrived. They have made a right pig's ear of his immediate future, and he is rising ten with a flat mark of 108.
I am going to take a chance on LION'S PRIDE, who is having his sixteenth career start yet will be ridden by William Buick for the first time for John and Thady Gosden. He is yet to win at this 10f trip, but he caused a 20/1 shock when landing a 12f listed contest at Newmarket this time last year when returning from a five-month break.
He clearly can go well fresh and is having his first start in 145 days this afternoon. There should be enough pace in the race – Naqeeb, Boiling Point, Quisiana and Respond like to race prominently – and the hope is that Buick can pick up the pieces.
Recommendation: Lion's Pride - 5/1 with Paddy Power
4:25pm Goodwood - Paggane (Each-Way) (Nap)
Hope Rising has won her last four by an aggregate of over fifty lengths, and one could argue that a 22lbs rise in the weights is lenient, such has been the manner of her victories. She is likely to head the market, but this is a much better race than the ones she has been farming of late.
Kissmehoneyhoney is lightly raced, and William Haggas has trained the winner of the corresponding race four times since 2016. This has likely been the target of the four-year-old for some time and, while she didn't look a stayer on her sole previous start at 1m6f, a market move would be worth noting.
If this were a handicap hurdle, PAGGANE (Each-Way) (Nap) would be giving 26lbs to Hope Rising, yet she receives 4lbs from the Snowden-trained mare on the level. The selection has only had five flat starts and was last seen finishing a never-nearer fourth at Haydock over this 1m6f trip last July.
She may well be using this as a prep for the new jumps season, but this is a valuable contest, and the hope is that Faye Bramley has her seven-year-old fit to do herself justice having her first start since February. The booking of Saffie Osborne is a positive, and Hope Rising – who stays two miles – looks sure to make it a decent test.
Recommendation: Paggane (Each-Way) (Nap) - 16/1 with bet365 (3 places)
This is Charlie's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Alan Kelly's pick too.
4:32pm Perth - Roi Du Roume
It was a poignant victory for Illogical Logic at Cartmel when he had a couple of lengths in hand of ROI DU ROUME last month, but I thought the second jumped and travelled like a winner in waiting, and I hope to see him go one better for Mickey and Sean Bowen.
That was just the selection's third start over fences, but he is a winning pointer who was fitted with blinkers for the first time at the Cumbrian track. He had wind surgery prior to his last start and was noticeably taken wide by Bowen. This slight drop back down in distance – albeit only a furlong – is considered a plus, and he gets the vote ahead of the likely market leader Delgany Second Now, who has won his last three for Dan and Harry Skelton but has been raised 17lbs for his latest Bangor success, which was his chase debut.
The four-year-old receives 11lbs weight-for-age from his elders, and he jumped well in North Wales, but I hope the prize goes back to South Wales.
Recommendation: Roi Du Roume - 10/3 with bet365
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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