Goodwood Course Guide

Right handed. There are two bends; all races up to a mile and a quarter use the lower bend, and in excess of eleven 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 meeting trouble in the straight, particularly when kept to the rail.

Goodwood’s stewards are surely among the busiest in Britain, as it’s tricky to ride and it’s easy to run into traffic problems, especially on the round course. The bottom turn claims its share of victims, because the ground there runs away from you, while the bend into the home straight is very sharp. You get congestion on the dogleg, too, as normally a fair few are still in contention at that point. On the sprint course, the quickest way home is in a straight line, which means the middle is usually a good spot.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver