is second only to Royal Ascot in status on the English flat racing calendar. The five-day meeting concludes on the first Saturday of August at what is undoubtedly the most scenic racecourse in the United Kingdom.
This is the definitive Glorious Goodwood betting guide. Glorious Goodwood, officially known as the Qatar Goodwood Festival, is second only to Royal Ascot in prominence on the English flat racing calendar. The five-day event concludes on the final Saturday of July 2020 at what is undoubtedly the most picturesque racetrack in Britain. All of the leading horse racing betting websites will offer markets.
In the Sussex Downs, five miles (eight kilometers) north of Chichester is Goodwood. It is not a typical racetrack, as longer races include a sharp right-hand loop. The Stewards’ Cup straight course is uphill for the first furlong and then downward for the remainder of the distance. The festival offers fantastic betting chances on horse racing.
Magnificent Goodwood Main Races Wagering
Goodwood Cup (£500,000)
The Goodwood Cup, which is run over 3200 meters and two miles, was raised to Group 1 rank in 2017. That year, John Gosden’s Queen’s Vase winner Stradivarius handled the transition to all-age company with ease, preventing Big Orange from completing a hat-trick of victories. He has since added two Ascot Gold Cups and a second Goodwood Cup.
Stradivarius would join Double Trigger (1995, 1997, 1998) as the only horses to win the event three times since its inception in 1812. It was originally ran over three miles, but the course was gradually shortened over the years until it reached its current distance in 1991.
The Goodwood Cup is the second leg of the Triple Crown for Stayers, following the Ascot Gold Cup and before the Lonsdale Cup at York. Stradivarius won the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million last year, with 70% of the £1 million bonus going to his Swedish owner Bjorn Nielsen and the rest to trainer Gosden, jockey Frankie Dettori, stable personnel, and breeders.
Sussex Stakes (£1,000,000)
In the Sussex Stakes, the pinnacle of Glorious Goodwood, 3-year-olds and older horses compete for the first time over a mile (1600m). Recent renewals have been somewhat of a letdown, but the clash of generations is always a fascinating affair.
Three-year-olds won six of seven renewals from 2008 to 2014, with the second victory of Frankel being the lone exception. In 2015, the five-year-old French horse Solow triumphed, followed by Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old The Gurkha in 2016. The last two races were won by seven-year-olds: Here Comes When in 2017 and Lightning Spear in 2016. This factor should be considered when formulating your horse racing betting strategy.
In 1841, the Sussex Stakes debuted as a six-furlong contest for two-year-olds. In 1878, when it became a mile race for three-year-olds, it first began to attract the public’s imagination. It was offered to horses aged four years and older in 1960 and 1975, respectively. Sir Henry Cecil holds the record for the most victories by a trainer with seven victories.
Nassau Stakes (£600,000)
The centerpiece of Ladies’ Day, the Thursday of Glorious Goodwood, is the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, a 2000-meter race for three-year-old and older fillies and mares. Last year’s winner was Charlie Appleby’s Wild Illusion, and the last four winners were all three-year-olds. She will attempt to win again this year if the ground is not too rapid.
Minding, who won five Group 1s in 2017, was arguably the best horse to win the race in recent years. He was trained by Aidan O’Brien. Prior to that, Midday won three races in 2011 for Sir Henry Cecil, the most successful trainer in the competition’s history with eight triumphs. Sir Michael Stoute is one point behind O’Brien and John Gosden, who both have four.
In 2006, Ed Dunlop’s globe-trotting Ouija Board edged out Alexander Goldrun by the narrowest of margins to become the most memorable winner. The filly owned by Jim Bolger had won the race as a three-year-old a year earlier and went out on her shield in one of the most exciting head-to-head contests in many a year.
King George Stakes (£300,000)
This five-furlong (1000-meter) Group 2 race attracts the nation’s top sprinters. The five furlongs are almost all (slightly) downhill, making it difficult to catch the frontrunners. David Griffiths’ Take Cover won the race twice (2014, 2016) and placed second twice, including a year ago at the age of 11. The super-quick mare Lochsong (1993, 1994) owned by Ian Balding was another multiple-winner.
In the last 17 renewals, only two three-year-olds — Moviesta in 2013 and Battaash in 2017 — have prevailed, despite the fact that there is typically a dearth of sprinters from the Classic generation. In 2012, the Australian mare Ortensia won the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York, duplicating Lochsong’s 1993 double.
Stewards’ Cup (250,000 pounds).
Saturday’s centerpiece is the Stewards’ Cup, one of the season’s most valuable handicaps and a true test for bettors. With at least 25 horses going to post, there are numerous potential problems.
The draw can be crucial in a large sprint handicap, not least in determining the early pace. In addition to the luck of the draw, luck in running is also crucial, and there are a wealth of anecdotes about horses that fail to discover a space at the correct time.
Given the hectic pace of the race, few three-year-olds choose to participate. But when they do, they are usually successful. 2015’s winner, Magical Memory, was the only three-year-old in the field. In 2016, Andrew Balding’s filly Dancing Star was the only three-year-old among the top three finishers. Prior to that, you must go back to Danetime in 1997 to find the previous Classic-era winner.
Goodwood Betting Markets
- Sussex Stakes While the Sussex Stakes is the most renowned race at Glorious Goodwood, betting on it can be quite disappointing. If there is a truly elite miler on the track, it is difficult to attract more than four or five competitors. In contrast, three of the last four years have seen fields of eight or more horses.
- Stewards Cup The Stewards’ Cup, which can provide a high-odds winner, is the most important race for bettors. Gifted Master was sent off at odds of 20/1, whereas Lancelot du Lac won at odds of 25/1 a year ago. The previous two renewals were won by favorites: Magical Memories at 6/1 in 2015 and Dancing Star at 9/2 in 2016.
Nassau Stakes I Similar to the Sussex, the Nassau Stakes sometimes disappoint bettors. In the past five years, it has drawn more than five runners only once.
Vintage Stakes I On the opening day, the Goodwood Cup is preceded by two very solid Group 2 races. The Vintage Stakes was inaugurated in 1975, but has already produced some elite horses in recent years. It was won in 2012 by Olympian Glory, who went on to win the QEII and Lockinge, and in 2014 by Aidan O’Brien’s international middle-distance star Highland Reel. The next year, it was won by Galileo Gold, who went on to give trainer Hugo Palmer his first victory in an English Classic in the 2000 Guineas. And in 2017, Expert Eye won before capturing the Breeders’ Cup Mile the previous year.
Lennox Stakes I The Lennox Stakes is also raced over seven furlongs, but only horses aged three or older are eligible. The next day’s Sussex Stakes over a furlong farther is typically won by horses that fall just short of elite caliber. Paco Boy won the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot in 2009, making him one of the best recent winners.
- Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup, the highlight of the first day, typically draws a field of more than ten horses. Last year, the presence of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius drove away numerous horses, and the same may occur this year.
- Gordon Stakes The previous four winners of the Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half (2400m) since 2015 have been Highland Reel, dual Group 1 winner Ulysses, Prince of Wales’s winner Crystal Ocean, and eventual Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter. The last time it attracted ten competitors was in 2011, while the last two years have had only five and four participants.