Goodwood Racecourse & Betting Review: Popular Events, Best Offers and Facts

In this article, we will be providing you with a dedicated punters guide to the beloved Goodwood Racecourse. To begin with, you can have a look at the table shown above and get a brief rundown on what some of the better UK betting sites have on offer as far as new-player welcome bonuses, special promotions, payout prices and betting types are concerned. As we continue we’ll be sharing some historical context, some general facts and figures and also reviewing some of the best competitions staged at the prized venue. Keep reading to discover more!

The Turf Itself

It would not be an understatement to say that the Racecourse features one of the most unique tracks in the UK. Not only is it right-handed, but its zigzagging nature, sharp bends and notable congestion makes it a difficult one to get around – horses that have raced here in the past tend to fare better, with first-time showers here sometimes getting caught out.

The route taken around the track depends on the length of the race. The five-furlong sprint course is considered to be one of the fastest in the country – horses tend to vie for the straightest, most-direct path right down the middle of the track. All races up to a mile-and-a-quarter use the course’s lower bend while races of seven furlongs or more utilise the top bend. The longer races feature a challenging, uphill test just before the sharp downhill bend that leads toward the five-furlong run-in.

Most Popular Goodwood Racecourse Horse Racing Events

Goodwood horse racing is most famous for the midsummer festival, Glorious Goodwood. It is a highly anticipated event – one of the main highlights in the UK flat racing season – and features several prestigious races where some of the best competitors in the business are crowned. The festival’s feature races include the Sussex Stakes, a one-mile race for horses aged three years and above and offers a huge purse of £1million! There’s also the Goodwood Cup, a two-mile test for horses aged three-years-old and above, which is worth £500,000; and the Nassau Stakes, a race of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 197 yards, which is worth £600,000. Be sure to keep a look out for special promotions Glorious Goodwood Promotions as there are often plenty – enhanced odds price deals, free bet deals and money-back offers to name a few.

Some Interesting Facts

Whilst Glorious has long been the feature event at the Racecourse, it was taken to new heights in 2015 when the course announced a lucrative, ten-year sponsorship deal with the internationally renowned stable, Qatar Racing. It put the festival and the course on the map like never before, guaranteeing increased prize money for the feature races – the combined purse for the feature races reached £5million in 2016 and has continued to increase – and is said to be the single biggest international sponsorship deal in the history of British horse racing.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1802	Goodwood Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Goodwood Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	2m
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Glorious Goodwood
Average Temperature:	2°/21°
Racecourse Capacity:	30000

There a few other important meetings held at the racecourse. There’s a meeting in May, which features some truly unique and thoroughly entertaining races such as the Daisy Warwick Stakes, the Height of Fashion Stakes and the Cocked Hat Stakes. There are also meetings in August and September where important races like the Celebration Mile, the Supreme Stakes and the Foundations Stakes are held. With so many show-stopping events on show all-year-round, it’s no surprise that Goodwood betting represents such a huge market for the top UK betting sites.

Goodwood Racecourse: The Story so Far

The first meeting was held in 1802. Since then it has made history on numerous occasions, especially with regard to its willingness to introduce new technology. In 1947, after a brief hiatus due to WWII, it became the first track to stage a live broadcast (courtesy of the BBC) of a racing meet. In the same year, the course became the first racecourse in England to provide live commentary to the audience via loudspeaker. Similarly, in 1951 it became the first course to air live horse racing on television (again with the BBC) in the country. It has since been said that Goodwood horse racing betting would not have evolved the way it has without these progressions.

Unsurprisingly, the Goodwood horse racing track is a place where a great number of domestic and international champions have been on the show. Aside from the legendary Frankel – twice a champion of the Sussex Stakes – Le Moss, a British-trained stallion, won the Goodwood Cup in 1979 and 1980 and was a double champion of the Ascot Gold Cup and the Doncaster Cup in the same years. Also, Petite Etoile, a British filly, had success as a two-year-old and a three-year-old in the Molecomb Stakes and the Sussex Stakes respectively. She also won the 1000 Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Oaks and several more major championships in the 1959 season. To check out some other tracks have a look here!