The Goodwood Festival, also known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’ gets underway later this month. The five-day festival is home to 14 races and we are immediately thrown into top-class action, with the three Group 1 races being staged on the first three days of the meeting – beginning with the opening day’s feature, the Goodwood Cup.                                                                              The 2021 festival kicks off on Tuesday 27 July – but perhaps you’re new to horse betting, or are usually a jumps fan and want to find out all that the flat season has to offer. Well, before you take your picks for Glorious Goodwood, read on as we give you the lowdown, the guide to it.
Day-by-day
Day 1 of the festival is also known as Goodwood Cup Day. Why? Because it plays host to the meeting’s first Group 1 race – and not only that, the Goodwood Cup is the middle leg of the Stayers’ Triple Crown. Stradivarius will be looking to make a record fifth straight victory in the race. Of course, the opening ceremony kicks things off in style.
Day 2 is when the milers take centre stage. The Sussex Stakes is one of the highlights of the flat racing season, and it’s only right this Group 1 race provides the namesake for the day’s action – on Sussex Stakes Day. There are two further group races – and seven races in all – so plenty of action to be enjoyed.
Ladies Day is how the third day of the festival is affectionately known, and it’s all about the style. Top-class attire needs top-class racing, and the Nassau Stakes – the third and final Group 1 race – is ran on day 3. The day gets off to a dramatic start with the ladies’ amateur jockey race, the Magnolia Cup. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the race often supports charities that help women.
Day 4 is King George Day – and home to the Group 2 race of the same name. One of the sprinting highlights – Battaash has charged his way to victory over the last four years. Can he add a magical fifth success to his name this year? On the track, there are four Group races to be enjoyed, while off it, the ‘best dressed’ competition winner is announced.
The fifth and final day is still home to thrilling action – known as Stewards’ Cup Day. As well as the day’s namesake race, there’s also the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes. The former is a six-furlong race, in which there can be up to 20 entries. There’s no atmosphere quite like it.
2021 Glorious Goodwood highlights
Tuesday 27th July
- 15:00 – Lennox Stakes (Group 2)
- 15:35 – Goodwood Cup Stakes (Group 1)
Wednesday 28th July
- 13:50 – ’15 To Go’ Handicap (Class 2)
- 14:25 – Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3)
- 15:00 – Molecomb Stakes (Group 3)
- 15:35 – Sussex Stakes (Group 1)
- 16:10 – British Stallion Studs Alice Keppel Ebf Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (Class 2)
- 16:45 – British Ebf Premier Fillies’ Handicap (Class 2)
- 17:20 – Singleton Handicap (Class 3)
Thursday 29th July
- 15:35 – Nassau Stakes (Group 1)
Friday 30th July
- 15:00 – Golden Mile Handicap (Class 2)
- 1535 – King George Stakes (Group 2)
Saturday 31st July
- 15:00 – Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2)
- 15:35 – Stewards’ Cup (Class 2)
Remembering 2020
How could we forget last year’s meeting, which saw the duration of the festival take place behind closed doors – after a pilot to allow revellers back to racecourses on the final day of Glorious Goodwood was postponed.
Among the highlights were Stradivarius’ performance in the Goodwood Cup. A fourth successive win which saw him make history – as well as land jockey Frankie Dettori another victory in the race, his fifth in total.
We mentioned how Battaash stormed to a fourth successive win – an achievement in itself. But the Irish-bred gelding, trained by Charlie Hills, broke his course record. In 2019, he won the race with a recorded time of 0:56.20, and a year later got that down to 0:55.62.
There’s no denying that fans and punters alike will be relishing returning to Goodwood for the 2021 festival and as we gear up to the action, who will look to make history and break records later this month?
