Key Characteristics
Goodwood is one of the most picturesque racecourses in the country, with top class facilities, and great viewing. However it is from the old school in that how you dress is more important than anything, and if you are not wearing the correct attire you won’t get in.
Goodwood racecourse consists of a straight six furlong course which has a slight incline to start but then is all downhill towards the winning post. The 5 furlong course is one of the quickest in the country and races can be lost at the start if you are slowly away. Courses over further distances are uphill to start but then have this downhill finish. The undulations and sharp downhill finish mean that the course is quite sharp and tends to suit the nippy horse rather than the galloper. The track is unique in more ways than one and the switchback nature of the course can favour those with previous experience at the track.
Draw Bias & Pace Analysis
Over 5 furlongs there maybe a small bias favouring low drawn runners, and it might be significant that the inside stall has won over twice as many races as any other single stall.
Over 6 furlongs a small bias towards low can be found which is bigger the larger the number of runners there are.
On the round course there are two bends; all races up to a mile and a quarter use the lower bend, and in excess of eleven furlongs use the top bend. Although there is a five-furlong run-in from the top bend, the turns and the pronounced downhill gradients make Goodwood essentially a sharp track, favouring handy types, particularly in the shorter-distance races.
Goodwood is in affect two courses. The 5 and 6 furlong courses are straight mostly downhill, and horses tend to stick to the standside, whereas races over 7 Furlong+ are run round a bend on an undulating course, and the runners tend to stick to the far side in the straight. For races over 5 and 6 furlongs hold up horses are strongly favoured, with the 5 furlongs in particular being the hardest course in the country to win by making the running.
For races over 7 furlong and longer the analysis indicates that the course is pretty fair to all types of runners, if maybe being a bit favourable to hold up horses. It is said that because the 12 furlong course starts with a steep uphill section horses that rush to the front to lead at the beginning can’t win, however the stats don’t really bear this out.
In terms of the individual distances, shown below is how Goodwood ranks:
5 Furlongs – 31st out of 31 courses
6 Furlongs – 20th out of 27 courses
7 Furlongs – 19th out of 22 courses
8 Furlongs – 15th out of 25 courses
For races over 7 furlong and longer the analysis indicates that the course is pretty fair to all types of runners, if maybe being a bit favourable to hold up horses. It is said that because the 12 furlong course starts with a steep uphill section horses that rush to the front to lead at the beginning can’t win, however the stats don’t really bear this out.
In terms of the individual distances, shown below is how Goodwood ranks:
5 Furlongs – 31st out of 31 courses
6 Furlongs – 20th out of 27 courses
7 Furlongs – 19th out of 22 courses
8 Furlongs – 15th out of 25 courses
“Goodwood’s stewards are surely among the busiest in Britain, as it’s tricky to ride and it’s easy to run into traffic problems, especially on the round course. The bottom turn claims its share of victims, because the ground there runs away from you, while the bend into the home straight is very sharp. You get congestion on the dogleg, too, as normally a fair few are still in contention at that point”.
Jason Weaver
Trainers & Jockeys
Trainers
| Sir Michael Stoute | 23.1 |
| Charlie Appleby | 21.7 |
| John Gosden | 20.9 |
| William Haggas | 18.8 |
| Mark Johnston | 16.1 |
| David Simcock | 15.1 |
| Charlie Hills | 13.7 |
Jockeys
| William Buick | 29.7 |
| Ryan Moore | 21.7 |
| Jim Crowley | 19.1 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 17.4 |
| Joe Fanning | 16.7 |
| Jamies Spencer | 15.1 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 14.9 |
