Timeform's in-depth guide to Goodwood, featuring all the key facts and figures ahead of next week's big meeting.
Timeform's Goodwood course guide
Right handed, undulating. There are two bends; all races up to a mile and a quarter use the lower bend, and in excess of 11 furlongs use the top bend. Although there is a five-furlong run-in from the top bend, the turns and the pronounced downhill gradients make Goodwood essentially a sharp track, favouring handy types, particularly in the shorter-distance races. The five-furlong course is one of the fastest in the country, meaning speedy sorts often have an advantage. A notoriously tricky course, those held up regularly meet trouble in the straight, particularly when kept to the rail.
Leading active jockeys at Goodwood
Sorted by strike rate since the start of 2017 (minimum 25 rides)
- William Buick 21.74% (30-138)
- Stevie Donohoe 19.23% (5-26)
- Jim Crowley 18.45% (38-206)
- Harry Bentley 17.57% (26-148)
- Liam Keniry 17.5% (7-40)
Other points to consider
- Danny Tudhope (£34.00), Jamie Spencer (£31.62) and Andrea Atzeni (£10.38) are among the 14 riders whose mounts show a level-stake profit at Goodwood since the start of the 2017. Pat Cosgrave (£80.08) is top by this metric.
Leading active trainers at Goodwood
Sorted by strike rate since the start of 2017 (minimum 25 runners)
- John Quinn 25.93% (7-27)
- Henry Candy 23.08% (12-52)
- William Haggas 21.92% (32-146)
- David Menuisier 20.69% (12-58)
- Charlie Appleby 20.25% (16-79)
Other points to consider
- Mark Johnston has had the most winners at Goodwood since the start of 2017, sending out 44 from 316 runners at a strike-rate of 13.92%. Andrew Balding (35) is next on the list when sorting by winners.
- Gary Moore (£103.75), George Baker (£85.25) and John Quinn (£53.74) post the highest level-stake profit at the course since the start of 2017.
Key performances at Goodwood
- Battaash is responsible for four of the five best performances at Goodwood since the start of 2017. He won the King George Stakes for four years in succession between 2017 and 2020, posting a Timeform rating of 136 for his first victory in the race. That rating marks him out as the joint-highest-rated horse, along with Cracksman, in the post-Frankel era.
- The only other horse who has posted a performance that features among the top five is 2020 Sussex Stakes winner Mohaather. Mohaather earned a career-best Timeform rating of 129 for his Sussex Stakes success, impressing with how readily he picked up the opposition when in the clear.
- Four-time Goodwood Cup winner Stradivarius posted his best effort in the race in 2018, according to Timeform's figures. He got the better of Torcedor by half a length with the pair pulling six lengths clear of the third.
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