Five days of racing in one of the most picturesque racing settings in the world begins at Goodwood on Tuesday. The Qatar Goodwood Festival, also known as Glorious Goodwood, is one of the highlights of the summer when the crowds come out to the Sussex venue in the hope of fine racing and fine weather.
Day one features the Group 1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup in which Aidan O’Brien is set to saddle the favourite Illinois, who finished runner-up in the Ascot Gold Cup. Newsboy, aka David Yates, will be providing daily and detailed guides on every race.
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1.20 Coral Chesterfield Cup
ANCIENT ROME features on an attractive mark as he bids to repeat his victory in this race of two years ago.
The son of War Front was having his first outing for Charlie Hills - he had won four times for André Fabre before leaving Chantilly for Lambourn - when contesting the 2023 Qatar Goodwood Festival’s opening race.
Competing from a British Horseracing Authority mark of 105, Ancient Rome came with a power-packed finish under Jamie Spencer to beat Haunted Dream by one length, going on to lift a Grade 3 event at Kentucky Downs next time.
My selection hasn’t found the target in 12 attempts since, but showed he still has fire in his belly with a third, beaten a neck and half a length, behind Flying Frontier in the 10-furlong handicap that rounded off Sandown Park’s Coral-Eclipse Stakes card on his penultimate start.
Jamie Spencer’s partner didn’t reproduce that form in the John Smith’s Cup at York 17 days ago but, now rated 100, he’s weighted to go close if the return to the South Downs reignites the spark.
Westridge , Castle Cove , and Tony Montana are the choices to scrap it out for the minor medals in a tricky curtain-raiser.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ANCIENT ROME, 2 WESTRIDGE, 3 CASTLE COVE
1.55 Coral Vintage Stakes
ZAVATERI has to shoulder a 3lb penalty for his July Stakes at Newmarket 19 days ago to remain unbeaten - but can prove up to the task.
Eve Johnson Houghton is enjoying another strong campaign with her two-year-olds in 2025 - Havana Hurricane took Royal Ascot’s Windsor Castle Stakes back to Oxfordshire - and Zavateri is the highest achiever of the Blewbury neophytes thus far.
The chestnut son of Without Parole started off in a six-furlong novice stakes at Salisbury on June 10 and overcame evident inexperience to make a winning debut.
His sights were then raised to Group 2 level for the July Stakes, for which Charlie Bishop’s mount went off the 18-1 of the six to take part.
But Zavateri laughed at his outsider status, hitting the front over a furlong from the finish and surging home to beat Do Or Do Not by one length.
The extra weight makes things tougher but the opportunity to tackle seven furlongs for the first time looks a definite plus and Zavateri looks a long way from the bottom of the barrel.
The form of Aidan O’Brien’s youngsters makes Dorset a major threat, with Humidity and Goodwood Galaxy also on the list.
The extra weight makes things tougher but the opportunity to tackle seven furlongs for the first time looks a definite plus and Zavateri looks a long way from the bottom of the barrel.
The form of Aidan O’Brien’s youngsters makes Dorset a major threat, with Humidity and Goodwood Galaxy also on the list.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ZAVATERI, 2 DORSET, 3 HUMIDITY
2.30 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes
JONQUIL is poised to take advantage of a one-rung step down the class ladder. Sent into training with Sir Michael Stoute as a juvenile, the Juddmonte-owned son of Lope De Vega made a taking debut at Sandown Park last August, defying interference to overhaul next-time-out scorer Centigrade and win by a short head.
Jonquil blew out in the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster a fortnight later, beating just one of his six rivals home as the 7-4 favourite.
Following Stoute’s announcement that his career was to come to an end, Jonquil joined Andrew Balding, marking his first start for Kingsclere with a fluent length-and-a-half margin from Rashabar in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury in April.
My selection then came within a head of Classic glory, being run down by head victor Henri Matisse for the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp in April.
The step back to six furlongs for Royal Ascot’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup didn’t work out - Jonquil returned 13th of 21 behind Time For Sandals - but Oisín Murphy’s mount will be happier back at seven and can get back in business.
With two wins, a second and a third in this race, Kinross has to be feared, along with Noble Champion and Quinault.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 JONQUIL, 2 KINROSS, 3 QUINAULT
3.05 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup
SCANDINAVIA (NAP) receives a stone from his seven opponents, including favourite and stablemate Illinois, and the weight concession tilts the scales in the three-year-old’s favour.
The son of Justify and an unraced half-sister to ‘Iron Horse’ Giant’s Causeway missed the target with three darts for Aidan O’Brien as a juvenile in 2024. However, Scandinavia has proved a different proposition in his Classic campaign - so much so that he is as short as 3-1 in the High Street for the St Leger.
Punters made Wayne Lordan’s mount the 1-2 hotpot for a 10-furlong maiden at Navan in May and Scandinavia duly made no mistake to earn a step up to Group 2 level for the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.
Allowed to go off at 16-1, Scandinavia ran well above those odds, rallying into fifth at the end of the mile and six furlongs to take fifth behind Carmers.
A well-backed 11-8 market leader for the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket 19 days ago, my selection, equipped with cheekpieces that are persevered with today, then thrashed Nightime Dancer by eight and a half lengths.
The step up to two miles is just what the doctor ordered and Scandinavia has the untapped potential to open his account at the top level.
Illinois, who led home Dubai Future (third) and Sweet William (fourth) when runner-up in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, is respected greatly, while French Master and Sunway also merit a second look in a fascinating first Group 1 of the fixture.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SCANDINAVIA, 2 ILLINOIS, 3 FRENCH MASTER
3.45 Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap
SHAGRAAN (NB) has a consistent record that includes victory at this fixture 12 months ago, and another good account is on the cards.
Last year, the son of Sioux Nation and Tom Marquand lifted the three-year-old handicap over five furlongs, getting the better of Got To Love A Grey by half a length.
Again successful over the minimum trip at Haydock Park in September, the Mick Appleby trainee made a pleasing return with a third, two necks behind winner Rosario, over this course and distance in May.
My selection’s fourth, again off today’s British Horseracing Authority rating of 101, behind American Affair at York 13 says later has been well advertised since and precipitated a Listed challenge back at Haydock two outings ago.
Shagraan ran a fine third to Balmoral Lady in the Achilles Stakes that afternoon and performed to a similar level with a three-length third to Rumstar in the Group 3 Coral Charge on the Eclipse Stakes undercard at Sandown Park last time out.
His mark looks within range as top weight Shagraan returns to the handicap sphere and that Goodwood know-how will also come in handy.
The short list is a long one, with Adrestia, Canon’s House, Regal Envoy and Dream Composer just four horses capable of showing to the fore.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SHAGRAAN, 2 ADRESTIA, 3 DREAM COMPOSER
4.20 British Stallions Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
HIGH APPROVAL has done enough in his first two races to suggest a maiden victory is close at hand.
The son of Mehmas and an unraced mare who has thrown five winners must have impressed in his breeze before going under the hammer at the Arqana sale in May - he fetched €400,000.
Sent into training Newmarket-based Hamad Al Jehani by purchaser Wathnan Racing, High Approval started the even-money favourite for a six-furlong novice stakes at Nottingham at the start of June but a lack of previous experience did for his chances as he finished third behind Reciprocated.
My selection again led the market at 8-11 for a Yarmouth maiden over the same distance 26 days ago but found Peel Park a length and a quarter too strong.
The winner had the advantage of racing under the stands’ rail on that occasion and, with more to offer on the third outing of his career, the Christophe Soumillon-partnered High Approval is taken to enjoy a red-letter day.
Wathnan first string Naval Light, also seeking to make it third time lucky, is a danger, in company with Stellar Sunrise and Warning Symbol.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 HIGH APPROVAL, 2 NAVAL LIGHT, 3 WARNING SYMBOL

4.55 Ridgeview Fillies' Handicap
PROTEST looks feasibly weighted for her first foray into the handicap domain. Punters made the well-related daughter of Ulysses the 15-8 favourite for her racecourse debut at Chelmsford City last October and the Roger Varian trainee justified their faith with a length-and-a-quarter winning margin.
Protest then moved up in class to Listed class, coming out of Newmarket’s Listed Montrose Stakes over the Rowley Mile the following month with plenty of credit - she was beaten under two lengths in fourth behind Smoken.
Although she finished a comeback sixth of nine in the Listed Conqueror Stakes over this course and distance at the beginning of May, my selection wasn’t beaten far at the line before moving up to 10 furlongs for Newbury’s same-level Fillies’ Trial Stakes.
The new trip appeared to stretch the stamina of Silvestre de Sousa’s mount - Protest travelled strongly before fading into fourth behind subsequent Group 2 winner Qilin Queen - so coming back to a mile is the right move for a filly who is far from exposed. Mahra’s Love, Dash Of Azure and Zapphire all have podium claims.
5.30 World Pool Bet With The Tote EBF Fillies' Handicap
SEA EMILY RUN comes with risks attached - she refused to enter the stalls at Newmarket at the end of last month - but there’s no doubt the ability is there.
The Tom Clover-saddled daughter of Too Darn Hot made it third time lucky at two with a course-and-distance score in a fillies’ novice stakes last August before a Listed fourth at Newmarket in November.
Sent into handicaps this term, See Emily Run ran fifth to Raneenn at Doncaster at the end of April but then took a step forward at Chester with a head margin from Lady Of Andros five weeks later.
That effort should be marked up given that Jack Mitchell’s mount lost momentum with a stumble two furlongs out and it’s hoped my selection’s recalcitrance at the start at Newmarket was just a temporary loss of good humour. Easy Peeler, Dubai Treasure, Cinque Verde and Harvanna are all names to throw into the melting pot as Tuesday’s entertainment draws to a close.
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