Goodwood: Major Races Discussed

The five-day Goodwood Festival of Racing, more commonly known as Glorious Goodwood, is a real treat for fans of top-level Flat racing.

The Festival hosts no less than three Group 1 races, three Group 2s, the same number of Group 3s and one Heritage Handicap.

Here, we will discuss the feature races of Glorious Goodwood, their history and how they might pan out this year.

Tuesday, Group 1 Goodwood Cup

Run over two miles, the Goodwood Cup is one of the highest-status staying races of the Flat season. First established in 1808, it was originally three miles long and classed as a Group 2 race, however it has since been upgraded to Group 1 level (as of 2017) and has been cut down to two miles (as of 1991).

John Gosden, trainer (with his son, Thady) of this year’s favourite, Courage Mon Ami, has trained five winners of this race previously; Sonus, who won in 1993, and the recent addition to the Hall of Fame, Stradivarius, who won the Goodwood Cup four years running. Stradivarius is the most successful horse in the history of this race, to Gosden’s credit.

Courage Mon Ami was last seen winning the Royal Ascot Gold Cup under Frankie Dettori, who will partner the Frankel gelding once again at Goodwood. A lightly raced four-year-old, he has won each of his four starts and will jump out of the stalls for the Goodwood Cup rated 118. Another duel with Coltrane, who finished just three-quarters-of-a-length behind Courage Mon Ami in the Gold Cup, will be expected.

Aidan O’Brien, who sends Emily Dickinson and Broome into the mix this year, has trained three winners of this race in the past, including Kyprios, the winner of the last renewal who defeated Stradivarius in a memorable battle. Emily Dickinson, a classy four-year-old filly, was last seen winning the Group 2 Curragh Cup by an impressive three lengths. Given her weight-for-sex allowance, she carries the least of the field and, drawn beside Courage Mon Ami, she could make it a three-way fight to the finish.

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Wednesday, Group 1 Sussex Stakes

The Sussex Stakes has been run as the race we know it now since 1878, and is arguably the most prestigious race of the week. Originally a race restricted for three-year-olds, it became an open race in 1975 and has since seen the likes of Frankel, Kingman, Alcohol Free and Baaeed cross the finish line in front.

Lining up for this year’s contest is the formidable Paddington, trained by Aidan O’Brien who has won this race on five occasions. Paddington, though only a three-year-old, has become a real superstar this season, winning each of his five starts against his own age-group and older horses alike. He denied Emily Upjohn a win of the Eclipse at Sandown in July by half a length, proving that he is a considerable danger to older horses in these races. This time, he takes on a bigger field of those over the age of four, but he still currently outclasses his rivals on ratings by some way.

Inspiral, one of the many star fillies in the hands of John and Thady Gosden, may throw down a strong challenge for Paddington, however. Maturity and experience can get the better of even the very best three-year-olds, and Inspiral was herself an older-horse-beating three-year-old. Her close second in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot will have prepared her beautifully for this and she will likely hold her own in the Sussex.

If, however, Paddington does emerge successful once again, he will solidify his status among the highest echelons of racehorses on the track today, and will likely go on to shape future generations of superstars at stud.

Thursday, Group 1 Nassau Stakes

With another intriguing mix of top-class runners, the Nassau Stakes is a fillies’ and mares’ race run over one mile and two furlongs. Established in 1840 and originally just one mile long, it has been run at its current distance since 1911 and gained Group 1 status in 1999.

Legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil won this race eight times in his stunning career, seconded by Sir Michael Stoute, who has trained seven winners of the race but does not have a runner in this renewal. John Gosden is high up on the leaderboard too, with five previous winners, and he sends two major contenders into this year’s race with son Thady; Nashwa and Running Lion.

Running Lion, a daughter from the only crop of four-time Group 1 winner, Roaring Lion, began the season in excellent style, winning a conditions race and the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket, both under Oisin Murphy. Ahead of her next outing, the Oaks at Epsom, she received much attention both in the media and in the market, but was a huge disappointment that day for both connections and punters as she became upset in the stalls before the race and was withdrawn as a result. Visiting Chantilly next time for the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines, she disappointed again, running too badly to be true to finish last of 15. If bouncing back to her best for the Nassau, though, she could be a very generous price indeed.

Nashwa, though, the winner of last year’s Nassau, is the Gosden runner most favoured for this race and was recently boosted nine pounds in the ratings after winning the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes by five lengths under Hollie Doyle. Clearly, she is as good as – if not better – than she was last year and could win this again.

French-trained Blue Rose Cen, the favourite, is the only one who may get in her way. Unbeaten from three starts this year, Christopher Head’s three-year-old filly now has three Group 1 victories to her name, winning in total by a combined 10¾ lengths. Going on any ground, she looks to be tough to beat, but so do the British runners when at their best.

The Nassau will be quite the spectacle, whoever ends up in the winners’ enclosure.

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Friday, Group 2 King George Stakes

Established in 1911 to commemorate the Coronation of King George V, the King George Stakes has been a Group 2 contest since 1971 and is run over five furlongs.

Charles Hills has had an enormous amount of success in this race in recent years, winning five of the last six renewals with four-time winner Battaash and last year’s winner, Khaadem, who recently won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This year, Hills sends classy sprinters Equality and Equilateral into the race. Equality, the best of the two, will be seeking a hat-trick here, having won twice over this distance in 2023 and gone up seven pounds in the ratings as a result. His excellent form and ability to handle a variety of ground helps his case, but the shortest-priced favourite by some way is Highfield Princess, who tops the ratings by seven pounds and receives an attractive weight-for-sex allowance.

Narrowly denied Group 1 victory on two occasions this year, Highfield Princess is in slightly easier company this time and it could turn into a one-horse race if conditions are in her favour.

Three-year-old filly Dramatised is an interesting runner for Karl Burke, as she won the Group 2 Temple Stakes a length in front of Equilateral. If back to her best for this, it could be a filly and mare fighting it out ahead of the colts and geldings in the closing stages.

Saturday, Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes

The Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes is a fillies’ and mares’ staying race, run over a mile and three quarters. Originally a Listed race, it was first run in 2003 and became a Group 2 race in 2018.

Given his talent for training fillies and mares, it is no surprise that John Gosden is currently the most successful trainer of this race, having won it three times since 2016. This year, he seeks to make it four with a total of three runners entered in the race. He is responsible for both the first and second favourite; Free Wind and Mimikyu.

Having won at Goodwood before over a mile and a quarter and won over this trip in 2021 when aged just three, Free Wind is perfectly qualified to win this race. She is another versatile horse, both in trip and conditions, who has put in two good performances this year already, including a Group 2 win at York.

Her stablemate, Mimikyu, has been her most effective over a mile and three quarters, having finished first and second in two starts over the trip and could be very competitive, especially as the ground is unlikely to dry out too much for her. Two places from two starts this season will have set her up well, and she should find the track to her liking.

The Gosdens could well find themselves with the winner and the runner up in this race.

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