Rain boost for Musson Cup hope

News that the heatwave will give way to showers today has come as music to the ears of Newmarket trainer Willie Musson.

Musson will be bidding for one of the biggest wins in his 26-year training career when Feet So Fast contests the Vodafone Stewards' Cup at Goodwood on Saturday.

The striking chestnut has lived up to his name by winning three of his five starts so far and looked well ahead of the handicapper with a smooth defeat of a strong field at Newmarket three weeks ago.

A 5lb penalty hasn't deterred antepost punters, who have backed him down to 7-1 joint favourite with Corals, and Musson feels a change in the weather could be the final piece in a winning jigsaw for the biggest sprint handicap of the summer.

Musson said: "Feet So Fast has been in fine form since Newmarket and although I feel he's too good to risk on what I call 'maybe' ground he should be fine if the rain does arrive."

Musson's quiet demeanour and conservative appearance masks a reputation for being as shrewd as they come where lining a horse up for a gamble is concerned.

So what does he think about being such a short price to land a 30-runner race in which the other joint favourite Border Subject is just one of a host of dangers?

"That sort of price wouldn't grab me much at this stage," he added, "though that's not to say that it wouldn't appeal later in the week if everything looked like it was going to be right for the horse."

Saturday's other highlight at Goodwood could see Sir Michael Stoute bidding to follow Golan's pulsating King George win by landing another major prize in the colours of the late Lord Weinstock.

Islington has been noted working impressively with Golan's former galloping companion Cover Up of late and could bid to atone for her lacklustre Oaks performance in a race which will also see Aidan O'Brien's Coronation Stakes winner Sophisticat stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time.