Durable Rainbow High well worthy of support

It's worth taking a chance today on Rainbow High, the "forgotten horse" of the long-distance scene. He has faded to the back of backers' minds due to a three-month absence from the track, but he can jog punters' memories with victory in the two-mile JP Morgan Goodwood Cup.

That lengthy lay-off - during which trainer Barry Hills' horses were largely out of form - is no worry for a horse who, invariably, runs well fresh and has twice won first time out.

The five-year-old looked a stayer with a big future as he made a successful transition to Pattern company last year.

He improved with each run after lifting the Chester Cup and finished the season with a defeat of high-class stayers Arctic Owl and Celeric in the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket.

The tricky Goodwood track will hold no terrors for Rainbow High, who finished a fine second over just a mile and a half in the Tote Gold Trophy at this meeting two years ago.

His owner Khaled Abdulla could initiate a double with exciting prospect Endless Summer in the preceding Richmond Stakes.

The two-year-old created a highly favourable impression on his debut in a novice event at Newbury last month, romping to a two-and-a-half-length success over several previous winners without being at all hard ridden.

But stable-companion El Gran Papa may be worth opposing at short odds from a poor draw in the William Hill Mile.

And market rival Caribbean Monarch makes little appeal at likely odds given his record for finding trouble in running and hard-luck stories thrown up by this race in its 13-year history.

It may prove wiser to take a chance at double-figure odds about River Times, a top-of-the-ground specialist who has a good draw in stall 13.

Fitted with blinkers for only the second time this year he could well reward each-way support at the least.

Major Sponsor and Fatehalkhair look the class acts on Sedgefield's jumps cards and should follow up recent wins by taking the Handicap Chase and the Novices' Chase respectively.