2024 Goodwood Festival Preview

This prestigious festival of racing gets underway at Goodwood Racecourse, and here we will preview all the action to come over the next five days.

The day has arrived – the 2024 renewal of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is set to get underway at the iconic Goodwood Racecourse on Tuesday afternoon. Action is set to take place over the course of five days, from Tuesday 30th July to Saturday 3rd August 2024. Here, we will look at all of the enthralling action to come this week.

Horse racing was introduced to this racecourse in 1802 when it was introduced there by the 3rd Duke of Richmond. The sport has been very popular at this venue ever since, and the Goodwood Festival, also known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’, is one of the highlights of the flat racing calendar.

Three particularly notable races take place at this event each and every year, which are the Sussex Stakes, the Goodwood Cup, the Stewards’ Cup, and the Nassau Stakes – all of which are Group 1 races.

Starting with the Sussex Stakes, Paddington was the winner in the most recent running of this race back in 2023, with the Aidan O’Brien trained horse guided to victory by Jockey Ryan Moore. This was a sixth win in this race for O’Brien, whilst this was a second career win in the Sussex Stakes for Moore.

Sir Gordon Richards has the most wins in this race of any jockey with 8, with his wins coming with Marconigram (1928), Corpach (1936), Pascal (1937), Radiotherapy (1946), Combat (1947), Krakatao (1949), Le Sage (1951) and with Agitator (1952).

Sir Henry Cecil has the record for the most wins of any other trainer with 7, with his victories coming in 1975 (Bolkonski), 1976 (Wollow), 1979 (Kris), 1994 (Distant View), 1997 (Ali-Royal) and Frankel (2011 & 2012). Speaking of Frankel, he is the horse with the most wins in this race to date with two to his name.

Moving on to the Goodwood Cup, Quickthorn is the latest horse to emerge victorious in this race with jockey Tom Marquand on board with Hughie Morrison as the trainer. This was the inaugural win in this race for both Marquand and Morrison that day.

As many as six jockeys hold the joint record of 5 wins each in the Goodwood Cup over the years: Jem Robinson (1829, 1834, 1835, 1840 & 1842), George Fordham (1855, 1856, 1861, 1866 & 1883), Steve Donoghue (1919, 1920, 1921, 1925 & 1930), Lester Piggott (1958, 1960, 1974, 1975 & 1981), Pat Eddery (1972, 1985, 1989, 1993 & 1996) and Frankie Dettori (1999, 2009, 2011, 2019 & 2020).

John Scott is the leading trainer with 7 wins, which came with Hornsea (1836), Carew (1837), Charles the Twelfth (1841 & 1842), Canezou (1849 & 1850) and Sweetsauce (1860).

Meanwhile, Stradivarius is the horse with the most wins in the Goodwood Cup with no less than 4, which came in 2017, 2018, 2019, and most recently back in 2020.

The famous Steward’s Cup took place once more back in 2023, where it was won by Aberama Gold – this was a first victory in this race for Jockey Andrea Atzeni, whilst it was a second victory for trainer David O’Meara, who was also victorious with Summerghand in 2020.

Marvel (1890 & 1892), Golden Rod (1910 & 1912), Lord Annandale (1913 & 1914), Sugar Palm (1942 & 1943), Sky Diver (1967 & 1968), and Commanche Falls (2021 & 2022) are the horses who hold the joint record of 2 wins in the Stewards’ Cup.

Richard Hughes holds the jockey’s record of 4 wins with Shikari’s Son (1995), Harmonic Way (1999), Tayseer (2000) and Intrinsic (2014). John Scott and James Jewitt are the trainers with the joint most Stewards’ Cup wins with 4 each.

Scott’s wins came with Epirus (1840), Psalmsinger (1845) Longbow (1853), and Sweetsauce (1860). As for Jewitt, his wins came with Sweetbread (1884), Crafton (1886), Amphora (1897), and Altesse (1898).

Finally, the Nassau Stakes was won most recently by Al Husn, ridden by Jockey Jim Crowley, and trained by Roger Varian back in 2023 – which was a first win for both of them.

Midday (2009, 2010 & 2011) is the horse with the most wins with 3 to date, whilst Nat Flatman and Sir Gordon Richards are the joint leading jockeys in terms of wins with 6 each. Flatman’s wins came with Dil-bar (1842), Mania (1843), Clementina (1847), Clarissa (1849), Hirsuta (1852) and Cantine (1859).

As for Richards, his wins came with Solfatara (1933), Coppelia (1935), Barrowby Gem (1936), Goblet (1948), Jet Plane (1949) and Sea Parrot (1951).

Sir Henry Cecil is the leading trainer at the moment in the history of the Nassau Stakes with a total of 8 wins, which were with: Roussalka (1975 & 1976), Connaught Bridge (1979), Nom de Plume (1987), Lyhard’s Delta (1993) and Midday (2009, 2010 & 2011).

Let’s now move on to the races that are set to take place across all five days of the 2024 Qatar Goodwood Festival at Goodwood Racecourse.

Tuesday 30^th July 2024

–          Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap (13:50).

–          HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes (14:25).

–          HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes (15:00).

–          Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (15:35).

–          Coral Racing Club Handicap (16:10).

–          British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (16:45).

–          Ridgeview Fillies’ Handicap (17:20).

–          HKJC World Pool British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (17:55).

Wednesday 31^st July 2024

–          Coral Daily Rewards Shaker Handicap (13:50).

–          Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes (14:25).

–          Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes (15:00).

–          Qatar Sussex Stakes (15:35).

–          British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

–          British Stallion Studs EBF Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (16:45).

–          HKJC World Pool Handicap (17:20).

Thursday 1^st August 2024

–          Coral Kincsem Handicap (13:50).

–          Markel Richmond Stakes (14:25).

–          John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (15:00).

–          Qatar Nassau Stakes (15:35).

–          Jaeger-Lecoultre Nursery Handicap (16:10).

–          Buccellati Handicap (16:45).

–          Tatler British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (17:20).

–          HKJC World Pool Handicap (17:55).

Friday 2^nd August 2024

–          Coral Goodwood Handicap (13:50).

–          Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (14:25).

–          Coral Golden Mile (15:00).

–          King George Qatar Stakes (15:35).

–          Regent Seven Seas Cruises Bentinck Conditions Stakes (16:10).

–          Hawes & Curtis Nursery Handicap (16:45).

–          Coral Play Racing-Super-Series For Free Handicap (17:20).

Saturday 3^rd August 2024

–          Coral Glorious Stakes (13:50).

–          Coral Summer Handicap (14:25).

–          Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (15:00).

–          Coral Stewards’ Cup (15:35).

–          Whispering Angel Handicap (16:10).

–          British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (16:45).

–          Coral We’re Here For It Handicap (17:20).

There is plenty of excitement and anticipation for the thrilling action to come across all five days at Goodwood Racecourse for the 2024 Qatar Goodwood Festival, which is also known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’. It starts on Tuesday 30th July, before coming to an end on Saturday 3rd August 2024.

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