British Racing $10 Money Back May 23: Play for Goodwood’s 4TH Race

TwinSpires.com’s British racing money back offer is a great opportunity to get involved in the action across the pond. 

Running through Aug. 31, you can opt in, bet a horse to win in selected British races, and get up to $10 back if your selection finishes second (in a field of at least five runners). Complete details are available on the TwinSpires offer page.

Friday’s British Racing offer encompasses the last four races at Goodwood (the fourth through seventh). Race 4 is the featured event, the Festival S., with two principals in a cast of nine. It might turn out to be chalky, but there’s a chance of a third party spoiling the logical exacta.

Race 4, 10:50 a.m. ET: Festival S.

The favorites, #5 Liberty Lane (9-5) and #1 Silver Knott (2-1), both arrive in smart form. 

Godolphin’s Silver Knott is well known for his stateside exploits, and the Charlie Appleby veteran has enhanced his resume at other venues this season. After a front-running coup in the Dubai City of Gold (G2), he returned home to Newmarket and just got upended as the odds-on favorite in the Jockey Club (G2). The two slight caveats here are the cutback to 1 1/4 miles and the top weight of 136 pounds.

The Karl Burke-trained Liberty Lane stamped himself as an up-and-comer when carrying top weight to victory in last fall’s Cambridgeshire H. Although winless since, the son of Teofilo has placed to Lead Artist (the future Lockinge [G1] winner) at Newmarket and most recently to The Foxes in the Huxley (G2) at Chester. The caveat about Liberty Lane is the ground: Burke ideally wants rain to make it a touch easier.

The one I’m intrigued to see is #3 Exoplanet (7-1), who makes his second start off a protracted layoff for new trainer Archie Watson. Ironically, his former owner, Sheikh Mohammed Obeid al Maktoum, has Liberty Lane in this race, making for an awkward storyline if his cast-off Exoplanet beats him.

The royally-bred son of the Sea the Stars looked like a sophomore going places in 2023. A close third (despite a miscue) in the ever-informative Newbury handicap dubbed the “London Gold Cup,” Exoplanet came back to place a bang-up second in the Hampton Court (G3) at Royal Ascot. 

Unfortunately, Exoplanet was sidelined for the next 22 months. He was sold off for a mere $24.5K at the 2024 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale and transferred to Watson.

It would be an understatement to say that Exoplanet made an encouraging debut for Watson. Resurfacing in the April 21 Magnolia S. at Kempton, he finished second as the 33-1 longest shot on the board. The winner, Godolphin comebacker Military Order, is arguably an all-weather specialist these days. 

Watson revealed that Goodwood was always the plan. If Exoplanet takes the expected step forward back on turf, he has upset potential, especially if the favorites’ caveats pan out.

In last week’s column, my main play failed, but the secondary option furnished a fig leaf. As a test to see if this becomes a pattern, note that #6 Meydaan (15-1) scored his stakes win in last year’s Cocked Hat S. at this track. The Simon and Ed Crisford runner is already a market mover abroad.