Goodwood, the 12,000 acre ancestral seat of the Dukes of Richmond situated in West Sussex near Chichester, and within the undulating hills of the South Downs National Park, is as synonymous with horse racing as Ascot or Newmarket and beloved by racegoers around the world.
An event infused with history, The Dukes of Richmond have had a passion for the sport since the seventeenth century, when Charles II, father of the first Duke of Richmond, competed in races and even set out rules and adjudicated over disputes. The first public race meeting at Goodwood took place in 1802 as a 3-day meeting, inspired by the Third Duke of Richmond’s private race meeting for the officers of the Sussex Militia and members of the Goodwood Hunt, with racing on “The Harroway”, a ridge on top of the scenic South Downs the previous year. The Third Duke of Richmond went on to commission the renowned architect Sir William Chambers to design a vast stable block that is still in use today and is regarded as one of the grandest in the country.
The Fifth Duke of Richmond, an extremely successful racehorse owner who was instrumental in drawing up the official rules of horse racing, was also a senior stewards of the Jockey Club and made many innovations with his colleague Lord George Bentinck, including the first ever horsebox which transported his horse ‘Elis’ from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Prior to this, horses had been walked between racecourses. Elis, who arrived fresh and won easily, netted the Duke the prize and £12,000 from a bet.
‘Glorious Goodwood’, a term affectionately coined by the British press, has been an established fixture of the country’s social calendar since the nineteenth century, with the fun-loving Edward VII, who famously described the event as “a garden party with racing tacked on”, almost always in attendance with his entourage.
Although horse racing was suspended during the First and Second World Wars, Goodwood’s popularity flourished by the second half of the twentieth century, with a record one-day crowd of 55,000 in attendance during the 1953 race meeting. Only the year before, Goodwood made history by being the first racecourse to introduce live commentary in order to save racegoers the trouble of carrying binoculars, something which soon caught on elsewhere.
Regarded by many as the most handsome racecourse in the world, the panoramic views of the English countryside, reaching as far as the Isle of Wight on a clear day, makes Goodwood Racecourse a truly unique setting, coupled with an undulating track which offers a challenge to the most experienced horses and jockeys.
Goodwood hosts a number of notable flat-racing events throughout the year but the pinnacle remains the ‘Glorious Goodwood’ meeting, usually held in late July or early August. Goodwood Racecourse began their 10-year partnership with Qatar in 2015, the biggest sponsorship deal in British horse racing history, with £4.5m in prize money offered at the 2015 meeting which was rebranded ‘The Qatar Goodwood Festival’, with the promise to increase the prize fund year-on-year. Within just the past week, the Goodwood Racecourse announced the renewal of their multi-year partnership with Qatar, commencing in 2025.
A key meeting of the British flat racing season, combining high society and prestigious races including the Sussex and Nassau Stakes, the historic Stewards’ Cup, and the Goodwood Cup, the world-famous festival, attended by in excess of 100,000 racegoers over the five-days, attracts the best international racehorses, jockeys and trainers. And there have certainly been some ‘glorious’ sporting moments such as Frankie Dettori’s first British winner in 1987. Ladies Day’, aside from being one of the most glamorous summer occasions, features the 12-rider Magnolia Cup, which champions women in the sport and has raised over £2 million for charity.
Traditionally the final fling of the British social season, which includes prestigious events such as RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot and Henley Royal Regatta, the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002, has an energy all its own. A far more relaxed affair than Royal Ascot when it comes to the dress code, with gentlemen not required to wear top hats and morning suits, it’s no less a sartorial occasion for the informality.
King Edward VII, forgoing the standard morning dress (top hat and tails) when he attended ‘Glorious Goodwood’ in 1906, first made white linen suits and Panama hats the go-to choice for gents, while ladies, encouraged to don laid back yet sophisticated styles, add colour and panache in the fashion stakes, ensuring that the meeting is as glamorous as it gets and almost as much of a showcase for exceptional British millinery and tailoring as Royal Ascot.
Goodwood Racecourse is neighbour to the Duke of Richmond’s private residence, Goodwood House, along with the equally famous motor circuit (the centrepiece of both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival), an aerodrome, golf club, organic farm and Goodwood Hotel which offers event-goers luxurious country house style accommodation within the splendid estate.
For those seeking to experience the ultimate Glorious Goodwood race day experience, a host of gourmet dining and hospitality options are available, from restaurants to luxurious private boxes with prime track viewing. A quintessentially English summer soiree, the racecourse serves the premium Richmond Enclosure badge holders strawberries and cream every afternoon. If you only attend one flat race meeting each year, make sure it’s Glorious.
The next Qatar Goodwood Festival at Goodwood Racecourse, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0PS, will take place from 29 July – 2 August 2025. Please visit www.goodwood.com for more information.
Photos by Drew Gibson, George Gunn and Jayson Fong, courtesy of Goodwood
