Goodwood's Glorious History
No one can ever have been more robbed of a comfortable income for life than the Sussex newspaper sub-editor who is supposed to have put up the headline ‘Glorious Goodwood’ to accompany a story about King Edward VII making his annual visit to the big local race meeting.
The ‘sub’ wouldn’t have received a farthing extra for his efforts, but the phrase has certainly stuck – imagine how much the marketeers in a swanky modern-day agency would have charged to do the same.
Well over a century later Glorious Goodwood, staged for five days on the 12,000 acre, ancestral estate of the Dukes of Richmond on the West Sussex Downs near Chichester, remains pretty much as famous a brand as any other in the British sporting summer, and as unique as any.
Because as other events seek to modernise themselves, this one revels in its more traditional, quintessentially British values so that, for example, in an imaginary ‘Style Stakes’ Goodwood the racehorse would hardly need the assistance of any Saffie Osborne or Richard Kingscote to draw miles clear of its rivals.
The same applies to the different form of horsepower seen at the motor racing circuit, also part of the Richmond estate and home to the Festival of Speed and to the Revival, just down the road.
It was Edward VII who made linen suits and Panama hats popular for gents at Glorious Goodwood; meanwhile, as one guide put it, ladies are recommended to wear “an effortless dress that feels fun but chic”, a description that can mean what you like, though the racecourse gets 10/10 for its way with words. (It also suggests swerving high heels which can find the going on the uneven downland decidedly heavy.)
And, as for the location, Wimbledon, Lord’s, Henley, even Cheltenham, can eat their hearts out – there is no other sporting arena quite like it in Britain, quite possibly in the world, with on one side of the tall, elegant stands the examining course sprawling towards and across the horizon, and on the other spectacular views to the Isle of Wight.
Over the years, Goodwood has enjoyed many glorious moments – hosting Frankie Dettori’s first British winner, on Lizzie Hare in 1987; the record-breaking four Goodwood Cup victories by Stradivarius; and, at the other end of the scale, Tom Cruise making an unexpected visit to present Ladies’ Day trophies in 2014 – but one had a more lasting effect than any other.
In 1952 Goodwood made history when officials decided that racegoers deserved better than to rely on binoculars to follow proceedings, so introduced commentary, an innovation that caught on gradually elsewhere, although some tracks hesitated, thinking the concept noisy and intrusive.
However, finding yourself on the rota for ‘calling’ at the track is not always considered the most attractive of propositions because while the weather is often, of course, glorious on other occasions visibility can be reduced dramatically when the weather closes in, particularly the infamous sea fret.
Runners and riders become ghostly shadows or sometimes vanish altogether; once, as the place was enveloped by an impenetrable gloom, a commentator friend recalled telling the crowd an anecdote about not being able to see anything on a previous visit.
On he went until interrupted mid-sentence by the judge – who had decided to send someone to actually stand on the finishing line – announcing the result; at no time did my friend see a thing.
Purosangue is due to lead the Goodwood charge for Opulence in the big-field Stewards Cup on the Saturday when he’s sure to appreciate the six-furlongs after bravado efforts over five at Royal Ascot and at Sandown.
After finishing respectively ninth and twelfth in the Britannia at Ascot it’s hoped that Arctic Thunder and Dashing Darcey can build on those good runs in separate handicaps here, and Phoenix Passion will be trying to keep up his brilliant recent work. Here’s to a Glorious week.
PUROSANGUE narrowly defeated by BIG EV's in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes last season