Glorious Goodwood will be fascinating - and not just because of Battaash and Stradivarius

Ed Arkell is hopeful Glorious Goodwood's Sussex Stakes could be one of flat racing's contests of the season - but says that is just one of many highlights to look forward to in what is shaping up to a 'fascinating' week.
Stradivarius is due to go for a remarkable fourth straight Goodwood Cup win / Picture: GettyStradivarius is due to go for a remarkable fourth straight Goodwood Cup win / Picture: Getty
Stradivarius is due to go for a remarkable fourth straight Goodwood Cup win / Picture: Getty

It will be a Qatar Goodwood Festival like no other Glorious week seen on the South Downs, with no paying members of the public allowed in.

But Goodwood officials are still hoping they may be allowed to admit at least some of their 4,000 annual racecourse members. And Arkell says crowds or not, the racing itself is looking set to be special.

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A host of trainers have indicted they are likely to bring top-performing horses to the mile-long showpiece of the week, the Qatar Sussex Stakes, while Battaash and Stradivarius are both due to return to Goodwood to bid to win their respective races for an amazing FOURTH straight year.

Battaash (blue and white silks) is set to try to win a fourth straight King George Stakes at Goodwood / Picture: GettyBattaash (blue and white silks) is set to try to win a fourth straight King George Stakes at Goodwood / Picture: Getty
Battaash (blue and white silks) is set to try to win a fourth straight King George Stakes at Goodwood / Picture: Getty

Arkell is confident field sizes and quality will hold up in this most odd of horse-racing seasons - and says Glorious's place in the calendar, added to other meetings have been moved, could work in Goodwood's favour.

Arkell, who has been in charge of a skeleton crew overseeing the upkeep of the course in lockdown, told us: “I don’t think field sizes will be affected – racing will have been up and running plenty long enough that it shouldn’t have an impact. People are keen to run.

“We’re very excited to see Battaash and Stradivarius – following their Royal Ascot successes – being aimed at coming back to Goodwood and each try to do the four-timer in their respective races, the Goodwood Cup and the King George.

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“There are various other exciting horses who are looking like they will be coming – Siskin, who won the Irish 2000 Guineas, is a likely contender in the Sussex Stakes and Pinatubo, who hasn’t been quite the force he was as a two-year-old so far this season, looks like he’ll be coming back to the Sussex Stakes as well – it’ll be fascinating to see how he gets on there. He obviously likes the track. He won the Vintage Stakes here last year.

Pinatubo (centre) is a strong contender for the Sussex Stakes / Picture: GettyPinatubo (centre) is a strong contender for the Sussex Stakes / Picture: Getty
Pinatubo (centre) is a strong contender for the Sussex Stakes / Picture: Getty

“It’ll be interesting to see what other Irish runners we have. There has been a little bit of interest from some overseas horses but obviously we’ll need to see the various quarantines and what the government guidelines are as to whether or not they’ll be able to come over – or not.

“It would be a great shame if they can’t but at the moment there are greater things afoot than that.

“There has been all sorts of chat about the Sussex Stakes being one of the races of the season – with the horses that are being aimed at it – and wouldn’t it be wonderful if that is the case?

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“It’ll be a shame that people won’t be able to see it (in person at the racecourse), but they’ll be able to watch on ITV Racing – who I think are doing an amazing job of portraying the sport and providing everybody with the insight.

“With the way the race programme has changed, with the Derby having been run after Royal Ascot among all sorts of things, it’s thrown things up in the air a bit and they are landing differently too. It could be fantastic for Goodwood that we get a lot more of the top quality horses because things are being run a little bit differently.

“The meeting is developing and becoming – with Qatar’s support – elevated in position within the racing calendar. People’s first thoughts after Ascot are turning towards the Qatar Goodwood Festival. It’ll be a fascinating week.”

Stick with this website and the Chichester Observer for all the build-up to Glorious Goodwood

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