Goodwood offers perfect diversion during long wait for Exeter racing return

National Hunt Racing is set to return to Exeter on October 7 with an eight-card season opener followed by the Best Mate Beginners' Chase Day 12 days later. In the meantime, there’s plenty of summer flat racing action to keep fans entertained including the five-day Glorious Goodwood Festival in West Sussex which gets underway on Tuesday July 27.

Like Exeter, Goodwood has been hosting public races since the beginning of the 19th century with the first official meeting recorded in 1802, just two years before Exeter’s earliest recorded event. The Glorious Goodwood summer event remains one of the highlights of the flat racing calendar and features three Group 1 flat races: the Goodwood Cup, the Sussex Stakes and the Nassau Stakes. With the Goodwood betting markets already open, we take a closer look at some of the key races and contenders.

Stradivarius Aiming for another Virtuoso Performance

The Group 1 Goodwood Cup, has been dominated by Stradivarius in recent years. The Irish thoroughbred has won the last four renewals of the race, the last two with legendary jockey Frankie Dettori on board.

The seven-year-old also won three-straight Ascot Gold Cups but fell short this year. He will now set his sights on a fifth-straight Goodwood Cup. Victory would make Dettori the leading jockey at the race with six wins spanning a 22-year period. Stradivarius is currently priced at 4/5 and will head off as favourite with the biggest challenge expected to come from 4/1 shot Spanish Mission.

Remembering Frankel

Another significant star who conquered Goodwood was Frankel. The champion remained unbeaten in 14 career starts and was the No. 1 racehorse in the world in 2011. His achievements included back-to-back Sussex Stakes wins in 2011 and 2012 with jockey Tom Queally on board. He remains the only horse to have won the race more than once since 1878. All eyes will be on 11/10 favourite Palace Pier and 15/8 hopeful Poetic Flare as the two highly rated milers go head to head at this year’s renewal.

Audarya Hoping to Build on Breeder’s Cup Triumph

The third Group 1 race is the Nassau Stakes which was won three times by Midday in 2009, 2012, and 2011 - also under the guidance of Tom Queally. Midday remains the most successful horse in the race, which is open to fillies and mares aged three years and over. Breeders' Cup heroine Audarya is the early favourite for this year’s race at 3/1.

Battaash Looking to Make History

Another race to keep an eye will be the King George Stakes where Battaash will be aiming for a remarkable fifth-successive win. The seven-year-old is already the most successful horse the race has ever seen. He enjoyed a decent run-out at the King’s Stand Stakes at Ascot where he narrowly lost his crown to Oxted in his first race of the season.

Goodwood is one of the key events on the calendar and should provide a treat for Devon-based race fans who can’t wait for the action to return to Haldon Hill in the autumn. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Goodwood in person as all the action will be aired live on TV.