Race type - Flat
Goodwood
Course details
Set high on the Sussex Downs Goodwood is undoubtedly one of the world's most beautiful racecourses and the famous five-day festival held here at the end of July, known as 'Glorious Goodwood', is unquestionably the flat season's summer highlight.
GUIDE - For Racecourse
Right-handed, undulating, nearly figure-of-eight circuit.
Set high on the Sussex Downs Goodwood is undoubtedly one of the world's most beautiful racecourses and the famous five-day festival held here at the end of July, known as 'Glorious Goodwood', is unquestionably the flat season's summer highlight. Visitors today don't just come for the racing, though, as for the social elite Goodwood in July is the place to be seen sipping pimms and eating strawberries, with panama hats de rigeur for the gentleman. None of this would be possible if it weren't for the vision of the 3rd Duke of Richmond (a relation of King Chales II), who commissioned the building of a racecourse on his lands to fuel his passion for racing (and gambling), with the first recorded meeting taking place in 1802. If he was alive today, he'd be pleased with what he saw and would have more than a passing interest in the result of the Richmond Stakes, which is named in his honour.
Track / Draw Bias
Low numbers are best in races between 7f-1m1f and this bias gets more pronounced the faster the ground gets. In the Stewards' Cup over 6f, there used to be a strong bias towards the lower drawn horses but, perhaps as a result of pressure from bookmakers, this was reversed in 1999 following some radical course management (they ripped it up basically). However, if recent results are anything to go by, the bias is gradually swinging back to the low runners.
Principal Races
Group races abound here with the Sussex Stakes (1m) and Nassau Stakes (1m2f) boasting Group 1 status. Sir Henry Cecil trained the winner of both in 2011 in the shape of Frankel and Midday respectively. The Group 2s in no particular order are the Lennox Stakes, Celebration Mile, King George Stakes, the aforementioned Richmond Stakes, Vintage Stakes and the Goodwood Cup, which was first run in 1808 over a distance of 3m (it's now been shortened to 2m). There are also some juicy Heritage Handicaps for punters to get stuck into and the biggest of them all is the Stewards' Cup over 6f, which is best described as a 'cavalry charge'.
Course Characteristics
Goodwood is one of those truly unique tracks that simply wouldn't be built in this day and age. The course used for the shorter races (up to 6f) is relatively simple in that it consists of a straight section of around 3f, which is extended by a 3f chute at the end of it. Runners in the longer races, however, have to negotiate a right-handed loop of around 1m2f in circumference, with those horses in the longest races of all (2m5, 2m4f) having to start on the home straight way past the finishing post. They therefore have to run past the grandstand travelling in the 'wrong' direction. Idiosyncratic is the best word to describe it and as you'd expect it doesn't suit all horses, in fact some hate it and course specialists are the order of the day. The course's undulations are another factor to consider and the longer-striding, galloping types can become unbalanced - they are better off at somewhere like Newmarket! The straight course is the fastest in the country as after a slight incline shortly after the start, it's downhill all the way and if you miss the break here it can be difficult to play catch up. Again, look out for 'CD' after a horse's name as that designates a course and distance winner.
Top Trainers
One trainer stands out a mile here with Richard Hannon responsible for a staggering 75 winners in the past five seasons, and these have come at a very respectable strike rate of 17%. He can almost be followed blind especially in the two-year-old races, which he targets every season. Some way behind but still with respectable totals are Sir Michael Stoute (21), Mark Johnston (20), John Dunlop (20) and Luca Cumani (17). This has also been a happy hunting ground for Godolphin with their latest trainer, Mahmood Al Zarooni, quickly establishing himself as a force at the Sussex track, having sent out seven winners in the 2011 season at a strike rate of 35%.
Top Jockeys
Richard Hannon's stable jockey Richard Hughes predictably leads the way with 59 winners at a strike rate of 19% since 2007. You would have made a level stakes profit of £21 backing all his rides and it should be more of the same in 2012. Ryan Moore, Sir Michael Stoute's retained rider, knows every twist and turn of this place and 37 of his rides have passed the post in front, which is 12 clear of Frankie Dettori. Tom Queally (Frankel's jockey) has ridden 21 winners and many of these have been at good prices as his level stakes profit (all rides) is a staggering £92.