Glorious Goodwood betting

Glorious Goodwood

The history of Goodwood is wonderfully rich. It stretches all the way back to the early 1800s and roll on over two centuries later and horse racing is still going strong there. The West Sussex course is the home of one of the biggest flat racing festivals in the UK. The official name of Glorious Goodwood is the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

This is a staple of the summer of British Flat racing and three of the UK’s Group 1 flat races are competed for during the Festival. That is the Sussex Stakes, the Goodwood Cup and the Nassau Stakes.

It is a fabulous track in a fabulous setting, overlooked by the Trundle Iron Age hill fort, Goodwood boasts a six-furlong straight and one of the most famous features of the course is the big loop which is uneven and presents difficult challenges for runners.

Sussex Stakes

The Sussex Stakes at Goodwood have been going since 1841. It is a one-mile affair for three-year-olds and up. The purse on the race hit the £1 million mark in 2018. The race gets its pride of place on the second day of the Festival.

One of the most famous winners of the Sussex Stakes was the brilliant Frankel who won it in back to back years in 2011 and 2012.

Goodwood Cup

This is a battle over 2 tough miles at Goodwood for three-year-olds and up. This race was inaugurated in 1909 and if any horse can win the race three times during their career, their owner will get a commemorative silver cup.

It was only back in 2017 that it had its status raised back up to Group 1. It is regarded as being one of the top events for “stayers” those endurance experts, in England. The most successful horse at the Goodwood Cup is Double Trigger who won it three times in their 1990’s.

Nassau Stakes

Another of the big Group 1 flat races in the UK. This race was inaugurated in 1840 and it is run over a distance of 1m 1f. It is open to both fillies and mares of at least three years of age. It got its Group 1 status back in 1999. The most successful horse ever at the Nassau Stakes is Midday who won it three times on the bounce from 2009 through 2011.

Day One Feature Race

On the opening day of the Glorious Goodwood Festival, the highlight is the Goodwood Cup. This is one of the highlights of the British Flat season for the “stayers” of the sport.

It was bumped up to Group 1 status in 2017 and moved to the opening day of the Festival from Thursday.

The importance of the Goodwood Cup is massive, forming the middle leg of the Stayers’ Triple Crown, wedged between the Ascot Gold Cup and the Doncaster Cup.

It is a race over 2 miles for three years old and up.

Day Two Feature Race

The feature race of the second day of the Glorious Goodwood racing festival is the £1million Sussex Stakes. That is one of the Group 1 fixtures of the festival. That is run over the mile course and is one of the Festival highlights.

The Sussex Stakes is a 1-mile Flat contest for the thoroughbreds. The race is open to three years old and up. It is a race in which the brilliant Frankel made his name with consecutive wins in 2011 and 2012.

Day Three Highlight Races

The third day of the Glorious Goodwood is Ladies’ Day which kicks off with the ladies amateur jockey race the Magnolia cup.

The big one on the third day of the Glorious Goodwood Festival is the Nassau Stakes. The race is for fillies and mares of at least three years old. That is a 1m 1f contest and the race has a fantastic history, having been established in 1840. It claimed Group 1 status in 1999.

Day Four Highlight Races

The Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes is the big race of day four of the Festival. Four of the seven races that are run on the Friday of the Festival are group fixtures. This is King Geroge Day however and that is where the greatest attention will be.

The Group 2 race down the straight is a 5f sprint for three years old and up. It was first inaugurated in 1911 and it was founded to commemorate the coronation of King George V.

It received its Group 2 status in 2010 and is a primer for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York later in the year.

Day Five Highlight Races

This is the Stewards Cup day at Glorious Goodwood which is the feature race of the day. The Stewards Cup is a £250,000 race over 6f and this handicap is open to three years old and up. The race was first run in 1840 so has a rich history.

It is such a wonderful sight, seeing over 20 charges thundering down the straight at the track, it really is one of the most iconic sprints in British Racing.

Glorious Goodwood 2019 highlights

Stradivarius made it three Goodwood Cup titles in a row at the 2019 Glorious Goodwood Festival. The top-class stayer had Frankie Dettori in the saddle and Stradivarius continued his dominance in the fixture. He posted a quicker time than he had managed in his 2018 win in the race as well.

Jockey Frankie Dettori also struck in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood 2019 as he took the ride on Too Darn Hot. The horse was up against older company for the first time but he had gone to the start as the favourite, despite that.

Too Darn Hot faced familiar opposition in Circus Maximus and Phoenix Of Spain. Too Darn Hot eased in front a furlong out and won by half a length. He retired after that because of injury.

Japan strikes in the Nassau Stakes with the 20/1 winner

At the other big feature race of the 2019 Glorious Goodwood Festival was the Nassau Stakes. Champion jockey Oisin Murphy brought Deirdre home.

In winning the race Deirdre became the first horse trained in Japan to win a major British fixture in 19 years. She had been a 20/1 SP for the race over 10 furlongs as well. It wasn’t until a late gap opened up in the final furlong that she found her space to strike.

Mellah makes history

On the Thursday of the 2019 Glorius Goodwood Festival, which was Ladies Day, 18-year-old amateur jockey Khadijah Mellah claimed a win in the Magnolia Cup.

In doing so she became the first British Muslim woman to compete in a horse race and the first to compete wearing a hijab.

Four months before leading 25/1 outside shot Haverland home successfully, Mellah had not even ridden a horse.

2020 Goodwood

The 2020 Glorious Goodwood Festival is scheduled for the July 28th through to August 1st.

However, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, things could change.