Glorious Goodwood is back and packed full of high-octane racing and potentially some new racing records. From 27th – 31st July 2021 this great meeting will be opening its doors to more crowds and celebrate the best horses and jockeys of the season. With some of the most valuable races in the world at Goodwood, you won’t want to miss a thing.

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Racing

The Big Race Entries of Glorious Goodwood include:

• Tuesday 1:50 1m2f (1m1f197y) Unibet “You’re On” Chesterfield Cup Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+)
• Tuesday 2:25 7f Unibet Vintage Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo)
• Tuesday 3:00 7f Unibet Lennox Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo+)
• Tuesday 3:35 2m Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+)
• Tuesday 5:20 1m Unibet Fillies’ Handicap (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-95)
• Wednesday 1:50 1m4f (1m3f218y) Unibet “15 To Go” Handicap (Class 2) (3yo 0-105)
• Wednesday 3:35 1m Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+)
• Thursday 1:50 1m2f (1m1f197y) Unibet “15 To Go” Kincsem Handicap (Class 2) (3yo)
• Thursday 2:25 6f Unibet Richmond Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo)
• Thursday 3:35 1m2f (1m1f197y) Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+)
• Friday 1:50 2m4½f (2m4f134y) Unibet 3 Boosts A Day Goodwood Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105)
• Friday 3:00 1m Unibet Golden Mile Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+)
• Friday 3:35 5f King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo+)
• Friday 4:45 6f Unibet Deposit £10 Get £40 Bonus Nursery Handicap (Class 2) (2yo)
• Saturday 3:00 1m6f Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+)
• Saturday 3:35 6f Unibet Stewards’ Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+)

Looking to make history on Goodwood Cup Day is Stradivarius. Carrying a prize fund of £500,000, this British Champions Series race features 3+ year olds showing what they’ve got over 2 miles. Stradivarius won his fourth Qatar Goodwood Cup in the 2020 event, will he make the history books and win his fifth this year? It will be a clash of the titans as he goes up against Ascot Gold Cup winner, Subjectivist. Don’t miss The Wine Tipster’s daily Unibet tips in his Racing Blog. Tickets for attending Glorious Goodwood are available here, or races will be shown on ITV, Racing TV and Racing Replays.

Fashion

Goodwood is synonymous with dressing to impress, especially on Ladies’ Day (Thursday). If you fancy winning a trip of a lifetime to South Africa, enter the L’Ormarins Best Dressed 2021 Competition on the 30th July – details here. Don’t forget your panama either – the Goodwood Look is a must for this meeting and the panama hat is a staple of Goodwood fashion for both men and women.

Food & Drink

Dining at Goodwood is an unforgettable experience thanks to the stunning views, award-winning food and top quality bars.

The Wine Tipster is especially looking forward to enjoying the delicious offerings of Gusbourne Fine English Wines. As the Official English Sparkling Supplier of the Goodwood Estate, bottles of Gusbourne are available across the hospitality venues at Goodwood. Gusbourne, once ‘Goosebourne’ after the 1410 owner of the estate, has been producing award-winning wines since plantation in 2004. With the guidance of Head Winemaker Charlie Holland and Laura Rhys MS, they have been winner of the IWSC English Wine Producer of the Year a record-breaking three times.

The Gusbourne vineyards are based in Kent and West Sussex, with 60 hectares planted in Appledore, Kent and 30 hectares close to the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. The Sussex vineyards are all planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier which are blended with fruits from the other Gusbourne vineyards to create the beautiful wines that can be enjoyed at Glorious Goodwood. Look out for the following at the track, or purchase your own for At Home celebrations via the website here or from The Goodwood Shop:

Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2016 – “Bright gold in colour, this classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier highlights red fruit aromas of cherry and strawberry, which then develop into attractive fresh pastry notes. With a bridge of citrus fruit, the palate is clean and fresh whilst giving tones of soft stone fruit and a long, refreshing finish.”

Gusbourne Rosé 2016 – “Delicate pink in appearance, with soft summer berries and floral notes on the nose. The palate shows bright red fruits, driven by ripe strawberries, fresh cherries and redcurrants, with a crisp freshness and creamy, rounded texture on the finish.”

Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 – “A bright golden colour with a delicate mousse, Blanc de Blancs has classic Chardonnay aromas of green apple, citrus and mineral notes combined with buttered toast and Tarte Tatin richness from extended lees ageing.”

Another staple of Glorious Goodwood is a bottle of Goodwood Beer. The Dukes of Richmond have been brewing beer at Goodwood for centuries, and today’s Goodwood Brewery has brought this tradition into the 21st Century with a focus on organic, home-grown malted barley and organic hops to make each bottle full of character and quality. They are named after famous racehorses so are great for any beer/horse racing fan! Find them at Glorious Goodwood or order online for click and collect from Home Farm.

Goodwood Beer Lucky Leap (APA) – “Created from the story of the legendary Kansas City racer, Masten Gregory, who, while approaching Woodcote Corner in the 1959 TT, detected a complete absence of the brakes and stood up in the cockpit of his car, jumped and soared through the air before impact.”

Goodwood Beer St. Simon (Lager) – “The tale of St. Simon, a light-footed racehorse so determined, he won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by over 20 lengths. Yet despite his win, he kept on running until he was out of sight, over the top of the Trundle.”

Goodwood Beer Grogger (Pale Ale) – “The story of Grogger the Boxer dog. When his owner, the Farnham Flyer, would drink a pint to celebrate finishing a race, Grogger would famously steal a sip from his glass.”

The Wine Tipster wishes you a truly Glorious Goodwood However you are celebrating, share with him on Social Media and keep up to date with his daily Unibet Racing Blogs and Tips. Cheers!

With the historic Qatar Goodwood Festival round the corner, The Wine Tipster looks back on the history of the festival as well as the stunning setting of the races.

The Goodwood Estate

The picturesque setting of Goodwood Racecourse is also home to Goodwood House, which is now restored to its former Regency glory; a motor circuit which has resounded to the roar of historic racing cars since 1998; a hotel and country club, aerodrome, golf club, organic farm and restaurants, and more. Covering 11,500 acres, the Goodwood Estate has a unique ambiance and air of understated glamour which has drawn people to it for three centuries of ownership by the Dukes of Richmond.

As a day out, it offers a great array of activities for all the family, but why not extend your visit and stay in The Goodwood Hotel? A stone’s throw from the cultural city of Chichester, The Goodwood Hotel offers responsible dining options from their fully sustainable farm, stunning leisure facilities, modern and beautiful rooms, and the chance to participate in the amazing activities on offer at the estate. Facilities are now open with safe distancing measures in place.

For hospitality, The Wine Tipster especially likes The Kennels – the modern central clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members – and Farmer, Butcher, Chef, Goodwood’s onsite sustainable flagship restaurant. The unique collaboration of these three professions results in imaginative, well thought through and beautiful dishes which showcase the meat on offer and highlight the different cuts. As one of Europe’s only self-sustaining organic farms, customers will end up travelling further than the food!

Glorious Goodwood History

The Qatar Goodwood Festival – Glorious Goodwood – runs every year at the end of July to early August, with a range of top class racing taking place every day. The racecourse celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002 and the occasion was marked by the publication of the Glorious Goodwood book and video. At the end of 2014, Goodwood Racecourse announced the biggest sponsorship deal ever in British racing involving a 10-year agreement with Qatar. The partnership, which commenced in 2015, resulted in over £2 million extra being invested into prize money for eight key races during the Qatar Goodwood Festival as well as a commitment to increase this year-on-year. Total prize money on offer for the week in 2019 came to approaching £5.6 million, with Qatar continuing to demonstrate passion and support for British racing.

The five days are filled with a number of historic races to enjoy, and a huge array of talented horses. Here are the featured races for each day of the meeting and The Glorious Five horses to watch in the 2020 festival:

Tuesday 28th July – Goodwood Cup Day

The Goodwood Cup, promoted to Group One status for the first time in 2017, is the highlight of the opening day and carries a prize fund of £500,000. First run in May of 1812, this is a British Champions Series featuring three+ year olds over two miles. The Goodwood Cup has been won by a long list of impressive and popular horses, often multiple times, including Yeats, who was without doubt one of the greatest stayers of the modern era with an unprecedented four Ascot Gold Cup triumphs to his name, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained champion was imperious in winning a second Goodwood Cup in 2008, having first triumphed in 2006.

Stradivarius won an unprecedented third consecutive title in 2019, and is one of 2020’s Glorious Five to watch. Will he make it four wins on the trot?

• 1.50pm Unibet Handicap 1m 1f 197y 4y+ £75,000
• 2.25pm Qatar Vintage Stakes (Group 2) 7f 2y £200,000
• 3.00pm Qatar Lennox Stakes (Group 2) 7f 3y+ £300,000
• 3.35pm Qatar Goodwood Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) 2m 3y+ £500,000
• 4.10pm European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden 6f 2y c&g £25,000
• 4.45pm Chelsea Barracks Handicap (86-105) 5f 4y+ £30,000
• 5.15pm Unibet Fillies’ Handicap (76-95) 1m 3y+ f&m £25,000
• Day’s prize money £1,155,000

Wednesday 29th July – Sussex Stakes Day

The Group One Qatar Sussex Stakes has a prize fund of £1 million, guaranteeing its position as one of the most valuable mile races in the world. The Sussex Stakes was first run as a race for two-year-olds in 1841 and remained so for 37 years, during which it was uncontested on 25 occasions, with 14 walkovers. The unbeaten three-year-old Frankel created history in 2012 by becoming the first horse to win the Qatar Sussex Stakes twice. Starting at odds of 1-20, the hottest-ever favourite in the race’s long history, the amazing colt had little difficulty in going away from his closest rival Farhh by six lengths – a joint record winning distance. The Sussex Stakes has also been won by the French sensation Solow and Too Darn Hot.

Sir Gordon Richards, with eight victories, has been the most successful jockey in the Sussex Stakes history, enjoying his first win on Marconigram in 1928 and final one on Agitator in 1952. Richards, who was knighted in 1953, made the Sussex Stakes almost his own from 1946 through to 1952, winning the mile contest five times in seven runnings.

Goodwood has played host to some equally impressive horses, jockeys and races since then, and this year is looking forward to seeing how two of The Glorious Five fare in The Qatar Sussex Stakes: Kameko and Siskin.

• 1.50pm Unibet Goodwood Handicap (0-105) 2m 4f 134y 3y+ £50,000
• 2.25pm Unibet Handicap (0-105) 1m 3f 218y 3y £75,000
• 3.00pm Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) 5f 2y £75,000
• 3.35pm Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (BCS) 1m 3y+ £1,000,000
• 4.10pm Alice Keppel EBF Fillies’ Conditions Race 5f 2y £50,000
• 4.45pm British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (86-105) 1m 1f 197y 3y+ f&m £30,000
• 5.20pm Qatar International Stakes for Purebred Arabians (Group 1 PA) 1m 4y+ £400,000
• 5.55pm New & Lingwood Handicap (76-95) 7f 3y+ £25,000
• Day’s prize money £1,705,000

Thursday 30th July – Ladies’ Day

The most glamorous day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is Ladies’ Day, where horseracing and fashion collide. The ladies’ amateur jockey race, the Magnolia Cup, will get the day off to an impressive start featuring 12 fearless women, and has previously        supported charities dedicated to helping women and children.

The prestigious Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes is the highlight of the eight-race card, worth £600,000. It was first run in 1840 and was named in recognition of the friendship between the fifth Duke of Richmond and the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange and Nassau. Previous winners include Ouija Board, Midday and Minding.

This year, Deirdre is one of The Glorious Five to watch in the Qatar Nassau Stakes.

• 1.15pm Magnolia Cup in Support of Wellbeing of Women 5f 110y – charity race
• 1.50pm Unibet Handicap 1m 1f 197y 3y £75,000
• 2.25pm Gordon Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3f 218y 3y £175,000
• 3.00pm Qatar Richmond Stakes (Group 2) 6f 2y c&g £200,000
• 3.35pm Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1) 1m 1f 197y 3y+ f&m £600,000
• 4.10pm Telegraph Nursery 7f 2y £25,000
• 4.45pm Markel Insurance British EBF Fillies’ Maiden 7f 2y f £25,000
• 5.20pm Tatler Handicap (76-95) 5f 3y £25,000
• Day’s prize money £1,125,000

Friday 31st July – King George Day

The £300,000 Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes is one of the highlights of the year – taken in 2019 by the hugely progressive Battaash. Battaash is one of The Glorious Five to watch in this year’s race.

A showcase for raw speed, this prestigious sprint was introduced in 1911 to mark the previous year’s succession of King George V to the British throne. The G2 King George Qatar Stakes is Goodwood’s top sprint and in 2002 was named the King George 200th Anniversary Stakes to celebrate 200 years of racing at Goodwood.

• 1.50pm Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) 7f 3y+ f&m £80,00
• 2.25pm Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3y £100,000
• 3.00pm Unibet Golden Mile Handicap 1m 3y+ £150,000
• 3.35pm King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) 5f 3y+ £300,000
• 4.10pm Unibet Nursery 6f 2y £25,000
• 4.40pm L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Glorious Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3f 218y 4y+ £100,000
• 5.15pm Goodwood Handicap (71-90) 1m 3f 44y 3y £25,000
• Day’s prize money £780,000

Saturday 1st August – Unibet Stewards Cup Day

The £250,000 Unibet Stewards’ Cup takes centre stage for the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. Previous winners of this iconic sprint include Lochsong, Dancing Star and 2019’s winner Khaadem. The six-furlong cavalry charge of the Unibet Stewards Cup is a sight to behold, with over 20 sprinters thundering down the Goodwood straight. The Wine Tipster is looking forward to this hugely competitive race on the final day of the festival.

The first official staging of the Stewards’ Cup took place in 1840, but the name actually dates back to 1834 when the senior of the two stewards officiating at Goodwood awarded a cup worth about £100 to any race of his choosing. The chosen race varied year on year, with the Cup being contested over distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile and a half.

• 1.50pm Qatar Stewards’ Sprint Handicap (Stewards’ Cup Consolation) 6f 3y+ £75,000
• 2.25pm Qatar Summer Handicap 1m 6f 3y+ £100,000
• 3.00pm Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2) 1m 6f 3y+ f&m £300,000
• 3.40pm Unibet Stewards’ Cup Heritage Handicap 6f 3y+ £250,000
• 4.15pm Qatar EBF Stallions Maiden 7f 2y c&g £30,000
• 4.50pm Qatar Handicap (86-105) 7f 3y £30,000
• 5.25pm Qatar Apprentice Handicap (76-95) 1m 1f 11y 3y+ £25,000
• Day’s prize money £810,000

If you’re looking for ideas on how to celebrate Glorious Goodwood, why not read The Wine Tipster’s blog on #GloriousAtHome here.

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One of the highlights of the British flat racing calendar and the summer season, The Qatar Goodwood Festival, or Glorious Goodwood, is an exceptional meeting of horse racing talent and a wonderful five days of events and hospitality. With the current restrictions, racing will primarily be behind closed doors, and Goodwood are encouraging punters to celebrate #GloriousAtHome! Join The Wine Tipster in getting ready for this unforgettable racing event with his range of tips and insider information.

#GloriousAtHome

For most of the festival’s punters, watching and celebrating from home will be the order of the day, and luckily The Wine Tipster has a range of ways to enjoy from the comfort of your home. The races will be covered on ITV and Racing TV and The Wine Tipster will be active across his Social Media and Unibet Racing Blog to engage with audiences about the festival.

 

 

The Glorious Five are the ones to watch this year. Stradivarius will be racing in Tuesday’s Qatar Goodwood Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) 2m 3y+ £500,000, Kameko and Siskin in Wednesday’s Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (BCS) 1m 3y+ £1,000,000, Deirdre in Thursday’s Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1) 1m 1f 197y 3y+ f&m £600,000, and Battaash in Friday’s King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) 5f 3y+ £300,000.

 

 

 

 

 

Hampers

As a drinks specialist, The Wine Tipster is particularly excited about the Glorious Goodwood Hampers on sale to make celebrating the races even easier and more luxurious. Choose one of three hampers to be delivered for a day of the festival – the last day to order being Saturday 25th July to arrive in time for the fifth day of the races. Each wicker hamper, tied with a Goodwood ribbon, is filled with five-courses of delicious local and artisan foods from award-winning British producers, as well as the option to choose a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, Gusbourne English Sparkling Wine or Mirabeau Rosé. See below for a list of menus to choose from.

 

 

 

 

 

At this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival, The Wine Tipster spent the five days presenting for Goodwood TV and Radio, and Racing UK. As well as sharing his tips for the Festival, The Wine Tipster was also involved with the Stewards’ Cup draw on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s big race. He represented Mick Easterby, who had Hoof It and Perfect Pasture running, and managed to draw good numbers for both horses – Hoof It in Stall 4 and Perfect Pasture in Stall 17.

The 10 year old Hoof It, a former winner of the Stewards’ Cup, ran a fantastic race and finished 6^th, while Perfect Pasture didn’t run as well as expected given some of his recent form, but given his listed win earlier in the season, he is well worth supporting on his next appearance.  

Overall, it was an amazing five day festival of racing which demonstrates the depth of the racing, and which The Wine Tipster believes will only continue to grow in terms of racing quality throughout the five days. The spectacle and setting of the Festival make this an exciting and unique racing occasion, and a must for true racing fans and those looking for their first racing experience.

The Wine Tipster’s personal highlights included Expert Eye in the Qatar Vintage Stakes on the Tuesday, who ran a great race and has a good chance for the Guineas Festival next May. On Ladies’ Day, Winter showed what a brilliant filly she is by winning the Nassau Stakes in ground that was far too soft for her to show her real class, but she is undoubtedly an outstanding three year old.

In the Qatar King George Stakes on Saturday, Battaash showed that his Sandown performances had been no fluke as he always travelled like the winner to beat a very strong field, showing that he really is a top class sprinter.

The Wine Tipster had a great time broadcasting with Lee McKenzie and Anthony Kemp on Goodwood Radio, as well as doing exciting features on Course TV with Rupert Bell and Hayley Moore. Racing UK also broadcast The Wine Tipster and his regular partners in food and drink crime, Tom Stanley, Rishi Persad and Niall Hannity.

Food and drink highlights included the Gin Garden, featuring Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks and Goodwood’s own gin. The Secret Garden offered a great buffet experience with wonderfully presented food and a great ambience – a must-go at the course.

Coates and Seely were a great feature with their Sparkling English Wines which have deservedly won numerous awards, rightly so given that the wines are Group 1 performers.

It has to be said that the Goodwood team did an amazing job when faced with such a mixed week of weather, coping with 35ml of rain on the Wednesday. Seamus Buckley, the retiring clerk of Goodwood described the day as the most difficult he has had to deal with in 23 years of working at the racecourse. Despite the weather, the team coped brilliantly and Buckley can certainly retire on a high.

The Wine Tipster enjoyed a wonderful few days of racing, and is looking forward to presenting more at the Haydock Rose of Lancaster Stakes Day this Saturday.

In the UK, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying a day at the races whether you are an avid racegoer or keen amateur. In addition to world class racing, you can also expect spectacular food and wine providing a fantastic day out and Goodwood is an excellent place to start. The undoubted sporting and social highlight of the season is the recent Qatar Goodwood Festival in which horses from around the globe compete for the £5 million in prize money on offer over the 5 day festival. Highlights include the glamourous Ladies Day including the unique ladies celebrity race, The Magnolia Cup, with riders sporting silks created by high profile fashion designers. Star filly Minding, the world’s joint best-three-year-old filly beforehand, secured her sixth Group One success in the Qatar Nassau Stakes, the feature race on day five and Europe’s richest race for fillies and mares.

As The Wine Tipster, my role is to present on food, wine and racing at key meetings across the UK including Glorious Goodwood on Racing UK, Goodwood racecourse radio and Goodwood racecourse TV. With a love of racing, maths and analytical thinking, I have always enjoyed studying the form. This has led to a unique opportunity for me to combine my love of fizz and food with horse-racing You can enjoy this for yourself with a selection of bubbles on offer from local to global options!

This was a key occasion for local winery, Nyetimber, who were sponsoring the bar at Goodwood, one of a number of English Sparkling wineries who are enjoying continued popularity right now. There are around 500 vineyards in England and Wales covering some 4,500 acres producing over 5 million bottles of sparkling and still wines.
Nyetimber have 170 hectares of their own vineyards in Sussex and Hampshire and using the traditional trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, their owner Eric Heerema is quite rightly proud of their range of award-winning wines which includes the 2009 Classic Cuvée in magnum and the 2009 Blanc de Blancs. Both won Gold at the recent International Wine Challenge. Look out for their beautifully reimagined 1968 Routemaster bus which will be attending iconic British events throughout the year.

Away from Goodwood you can purchase Nyetimber’s wines at Waitrose.

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2010, West Sussex, England, abv 12%, £31.99. Stockist: Waitrose.
Winemaker Cherie Spriggs produces wines of outstanding quality and this Classic Cuvée is delicious, with complexity, elegance and stunning length.  I would also recommend their Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2009 in magnum, a wine to keep and savour.

Nyetimber Rosé NV, West Sussex, England, abv 12%, £39.99. Stockist: Waitrose
A top class example of English winemaking with this pink that fits In perfectly with the rest of their range in style.
Light in colour, with gentle berry fruit and floral notes, this is beautifully harmonious dry and classic rosé.

If you are heading off to a Saturday race meeting check out my tips in my On The Box column in Saturday’s Racing Plus!

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