One of the real highlights of the summer for racing fans is this five-day meeting on the South Downs. Known as the Qatar Goodwood Festival for sponsorship purposes, this is commonly referred to as simply Glorious Goodwood. Located on the Duke of Richmond’s estate, the course is famous for its picturesque views of the Sussex countryside.
Beginning either at the end of July or early August, Glorious Goodwood runs from a Tuesday through to the Saturday. Each day features either seven or eight races with a total of 37 across the five days including 13 Group races.
The three Group 1 races in the Goodwood Cup, Sussex Stakes and the Nassau Stakes may grab the headlines but big field handicaps such as Saturday’s Stewards Cup ensure there is plenty of variety on the track.
Tuesday 29th July 2025, Goodwood Cup Day
The headline race on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood is the Group 1 Goodwood Cup over a distance of two miles. This race forms part of the Stayers’ Triple Crown, following from the Ascot Gold Cup and ahead of the Doncaster Cup in September.
Also on Tuesday are a pair of Group 2 races in the Vintage Stakes for two-year-old runners and the Lennox Stakes for runners aged three and older, both of which are run over seven furlongs.
- 1:20pm: Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 4yo+, £100,000 - 1:55pm: Coral Vintage Stakes
Group 2, 7f, 2yo, £175,000 - 2:30pm: HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes
Group 2, 7f, 3yo+, £180,000 - 3:05pm: Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes
Group 1, 2m, 3yo+, £500,000 - 3:45pm: Coral Handicap
Class 2, 5f, 3yo+, £75,000 - 4:20pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
Class 2, 6f, 2yo, £60,000 - 4:55pm: Ridgeview Fillies’ Handicap
Class 3, 1m, 3yo+, £50,000 - 5:30pm: World Pool Bet With The Tote EBF Fillies’ Handicap
Class 3, 6f, 3yo+, £50,000
Wednesday 30th July 2025, Sussex Stakes Day
Day two brings the most valuable race meeting with the £1m Sussex Stakes. This Group 1 is run over a mile and was famously won twice by Frankel.
Also on Wednesday’s card is the 7f Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes for runners aged three and older which is followed by the Molecomb Stakes over 5f for juvenile runners, also a Group 3.
- 1:20pm: Coral Handicap
Class 2, 1m4f, 3yo, £75,000 - 1:55pm: Oak Tree Stakes
Group 3, 7f, 3yo+, £100,000 - 2:30pm: Molecomb Stakes
Group 3, 5f, 2yo, £100,000 - 3:05pm: His Highness The Amir Of Qatar Sussex Stakes
Group 1, 1m, 3yo+, £1,000,000 - 3:45pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo+, £75,000 - 4:20pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes
Class 2, 5f, 2yo, £75,000 - 4:55pm: World Pool Bet With The Tote Handicap
Class 3, 7f, 3yo+, £50,000
Thursday 31st July 2025, Ladies Day
Day three at Goodwood is Ladies Day so it seems appropriate that the feature race is the Nassau Stakes, a Group 1 race over 1m2f for fillies and mares.
There are two further Group races amongst the eight on Thursday, the Group 2 Richmond Stakes over 6f and the Group 3 Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half.
- 1:20pm: Coral Kincsem Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo, £100,000 - 1:55pm: Markel Richmond Stakes
Group 2, 6f, 2yo, £175,000 - 2:30pm: Gordon Stakes
Group 3, 1m4f, 3yo, £200,000 - 3:05pm: Visit Qatar Nassau Stakes
Group 1, 1m2f, 3yo+, £600,000 - 3:45pm: Buccellati Handicap
Class 3, 5f, 3yo, £50,000 - 4:20pm: Phase Eight Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £60,000 - 4:55pm: Tatler British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £60,000 - 5:30pm: World Pool Bet With The Tote Handicap
Class 3, 1m, 3yo, £50,000
Friday 1st July, King George Day
The title race on the penultimate day of the festival is the King George Stakes, a Group 2 sprint over 5f which was won four years in succession by Battaash for trainer Charles Hills and Jockey Jim Crowley.
Amongst Friday’s supporting races is the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes for three-year-olds and the valuable Golden Mile Handicap.
- 1:20pm: Coral Goodwood Handicap
Class 2, 2m4½f, 3yo+, £75,000 - 1:55pm: Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes
Group 3, 1m, 3yo, £100,000 - 2:30pm: Coral Golden Mile
Class 2, 1m, 3yo+, £150,000 - 3:05pm: King George Qatar Stakes
Group 2, 5f, 3yo+, £300,000 - 3:45pm: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Bentinck Conditions Stakes
Class 2, 1m1f, 4yo+, £75,000 - 4:20pm: Hawes & Curtis Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 6f, 2yo, £60,000 - 4:55pm: Coral Handicap
Class 3, 1m3f, 3yo, £50,000
Saturday 2nd July, Stewards’ Cup Day
The big race on the final day of Glorious Goodwood isn’t a Group race but a big field sprint handicap. The Steward’s Cup is run over 6f and often sees the maximum 28 runners line up.
There is Group action amongst the seven races on Saturday, the Group 3 Glorious Stakes over 1m4f is the first race of the day, with the 1m 6f Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes for fillies and mares race number three.
- 1:20pm: Coral Glorious Stakes
Group 3, 1m4f, 4yo+, £100,000 - 1:55pm: Summer Handicap
Class 2, 1m6f, 3yo+, £100,000 - 2:30pm: Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes
Group 2, 1m6f, 3yo+, £300,000 - 3:05pm: Coral Stewards’ Cup
Class 2, 6f, 3yo+, £250,000 - 3:45pm: Whispering Angel Handicap
Class 2, 7f, 3yo, £75,000 - 4:20pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £75,000 - 4:55pm: Coral Handicap
Class 3, 1m1f, 3yo+, £50,000
