Goodwood Stewards' Cup Day

Coral Stewards' Cup Day 1 Aug 26

Qatar Goodwood Festival, Day 5

Goodwood Racecourse

The 5th and final day of the Qatar Goodwood festival will reach a fitting climax with one of the highlights of the British Flat racing season, the Coral Stewards' Cup. The race provides a thrilling cavalry charge down Goodood's 6 furlong course in a fiercely contested handicaps of the season

Tickets for the Goodwood Enclosure, not quite the Richmond but we did get a great spot from the stands

We stayed at Brook Barn in Graffham deep in the South Downs

                                   Making friends with the locals

                                Dinner in the Foresters Arms Inn        

Raceday: Leaving for the races

Entering at the East Entrance

Welcome to Qatar, I mean Goodwood

Time	Race details	Distance
13:50	Highclere Castle Gin Summer Handicap Stakes GBB+ · Class 2 · Three-year-olds	1m 6f
14:25	Coral Glorious Stakes Class 1 · Group 3 · Four-year-olds and older	1m 4f
15:00	Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes Class 1 · Group 2 · Three-year-olds and older · Fillies and mares only	1m 6f
15:35	Coral Stewards’ Cup Heritage Handicap · Class 2 · Three-year-olds and older	6f
16:10	Phase Eight Handicap Stakes Class 2 · Three-year-olds	7f
16:45	British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes Class 2 · Two-year-old colts and geldings only	7f
17:20	Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap Stakes Class 3 · Three-year-olds and older	1m 1f

Goodwood's pronounced gradients and sharp bends favour the active, handy type of horse, the fluent mover rather than the big, long striding runner, and this applies especially in short races and when the going is fast

The Sussex Roof Garden Bar

The Sussex Grandstand

March Grandstand

The Parade Ring

Selecting the first horses 

Ciders in the Bolney Pavilion

Finding our spot for the 1st race

View from the Sussex Grandstand

View across the South Downs just prior to the fourth race and main event, 'the Coral Stewards' Cup'

The Cavalry Charge for the Stewards' Cup

Looks like Sue has backed a winner

Back at the Tote for the Seventh Race

Bets are placed for the final race

Unicorns are real

The Unicorn Inn, Heyshott (nr Midhurst) in the South Downs is definitely real

Our adventure in the South Downs is coming to an end but what a brilliant Birthday Present. 💕

Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

Cheltenham Gold Cup Day 13 March 26

Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Racecourse

Nothing feels quite like Cheltenham. Gold Cup Day is packed with great racing, including the 'Gold Cup Chase' the pinnacle of National Hunt Racing, with a winner's pot of £351,687

I pushed the boat out with Club Enclosure tickets (£99 PP) but well worth it with grandstand views opposite the Winning Post and full access to the Parade Ring, etc..

Cheltenham Racecourse consists of 75 acres of racing surface with 5 different tracks. It has a Chase and Hurdle course on the Old and New Courses and the Glenforclas X Country Course. During the festival 100 staff looked after the track 

Time	Race	Distance
1320	The JCB Triumph Hurdle, (Grade 1) (GBB)  for juveniles (4 yo)	2m 179 yds
1400	The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Prem H) (GBB) for 5+	2m 179 yds
1440	The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) (GBB) for Mares	2m 4f 127 yds
1520	The Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB) for Novices	2m 7f 213 yds
1600	The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB)	3m 2f 70 yds
1640	The Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase	3m 2f 70 yds
1720	The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB) for 4+ rated 0-145	2m 4f 56 yds

I was to have winners in the '1400 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle' with 'Wilful' ridden by Jonjo O'Neil in the colours of Mrs Friti Hay (£300), and in the Boodles Gold Cup Chase with 'Gaelic Warrior' ridden by Paul Townend in the colours of Rich Ricci (£80)

After arriving in a taxi from Cleeve Hill we enter the home of National Hunt Jump Racing 

Sue meets AP McCoy

20 times Champion Jockey

Best Mate won 3 consecutive Gold Cups between 2002-04

Sue in the Plaza, behind the Princess Royal Stand 

The Parade Ring towards the stands

The Guinness Village

The viewing area of the Princess Royal Stand

On Parade at the Parade Ring💂

The Parade Ring

The PR in motion

Posing next to Golden Miller who won the Gold Cup on 5 consecutive occasions from 1932-36

Apolon De Charnie trained by W Mullins and ridden by Patrick Mullins wins the JCB Triumph Hurdle at huge odds of 50:1

Opposite the Grandstand is the Best Mate Enclosure

72,000 racegoers packed into the stands for the Gold Cup

Arkle won 3 Gold Cups 1964-66. In his last win he remains the horse with the shortest odds ever for the Gold Cup at 1:10.

This year's Champion Jockey lifts the Cup

View across the Parade Ground 

In the bowels of the Grandstand 

Racecourse Art

Getting ready for the big race, come on Gaelic Warrior!

The crowd is getting excited

Atmosphere

The Hussars lead the horses on to the Gold Cup race

and they're off 🐴

Gaelic Warrior strides home to win by 8 lengths

Katie and Sue at the races

View of the Grandstand from beyond the winning post

The Grandstand in all of it's glory

The 7th and final race comes to an end, what a great day💥 Now lets get the bus and hit Cheltenham!