Glorious Goodwood 2026: Five-Day Festival Preview, Sussex Stakes Rises To Europe's Richest Mile
Glorious Goodwood runs Tuesday 28 July through Saturday 1 August 2026 at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex, England. That’s five afternoons of Group level Flat racing across 35 races and four Group 1 championships. The festival sits between Royal Ascot and York's Ebor meeting on the summer calendar, and this year's event arrives with a genuine Sussex Stakes blockbuster brewing after Goodwood bumped the race's prize fund to £1.5 million, Europe's richest mile race. We’re breaking the week down day by day so you know exactly what you’re betting on before the first horse loads on Tuesday.
| Day | Feature Race(s) | Grade | 2025 Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 28 Jul | Goodwood Cup / Lennox Stakes | G1 / G2 | Scandinavia / Witness Stand |
| Wed 29 Jul | Sussex Stakes / Molecomb Stakes | G1 / G3 | Qirat / Lady Iman |
| Thu 30 Jul | Nassau Stakes / Richmond Stakes | G1 / G2 | TBC / Coppull |
| Fri 31 Jul | King George Qatar Stakes / Golden Mile | G2 / Cl.2 | TBC |
| Sat 1 Aug | Stewards' Cup | Cl.2 | TBC |
Tuesday 28 July: Goodwood Cup Day
Glorious Goodwood week opens with the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, a two mile Group 1 that separates the festival's genuine stayers from horses simply stepped up in trip. Aidan O'Brien's Scandinavia defends the title he won in 2025 after getting the better of John and Thady Gosden's Trawlerman in an epic head decision in the Ascot Gold Cup in June, and the pair are confirmed to renew that rivalry here. O'Brien has compared Scandinavia's relentless pace to dual Goodwood Cup winner Yeats.
| Horse | Trainer | Key Form |
|---|---|---|
| Scandinavia | Aidan O'Brien | Defending Goodwood Cup champion, beat Trawlerman in the Ascot Gold Cup |
| Trawlerman | John and Thady Gosden | Runner-up to Scandinavia by a head in the Ascot Gold Cup |
| Rahiebb | Roger Varian | Yorkshire Cup winner, below form behind the big two at Ascot |
| Lazy Griff | Charlie Johnston | Winner of the Listed Coral Marathon Esher Stakes at Sandown |
| Illinois | Aidan O'Brien | One-two with French Master in the Queen Alexandra Stakes |
| French Master | John and Thady Gosden | Queen Alexandra Stakes runner-up to stablemate Illinois |
Roger Varian's Rahiebb, a disappointment at Ascot behind the big two, gets a chance to reconnect with the form that won him the Yorkshire Cup, while Charlie Johnston's Lazy Griff and the Queen Alexandra one two of Illinois and French Master round out an eight strong field at the five day confirmation stage. The Group 2 Lennox Stakes also runs on Tuesday, with last year's winner Witness Stand bidding to give retiring trainer Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole a parting gift, and Eve Johnson Houghton's Zavateri, who missed the Greenham after a setback, holding an entry.
Wednesday 29 July: Sussex Stakes Day
Wednesday belongs to the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes, a mile Group 1 for three-year-olds and up that has been Europe's premier miling championship since 1841, won in the past by Frankel, Kingman and Palace Pier. Goodwood raised this year's purse to a record £1.5 million, and the entries have delivered on the investment: George Boughey's unbeaten 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes winner Bow Echo heads 32 entries that include 16 individual Group 1 winners, with Aidan O'Brien's Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gstaad, who chased Bow Echo home in both Classic clashes, next in the market.
| Horse | Trainer | Early Price | Key Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Echo | George Boughey | 6/4 | Unbeaten, 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes winner |
| Gstaad | Aidan O'Brien | 5/2 | Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, runner-up to Bow Echo twice |
| Opera Ballo | Charlie Appleby | 4/1 | Godolphin's leading older miler |
| More Thunder | TBC | 10/1 | Among 32 entries, Group 1 form |
| Notable Speech | Charlie Appleby | 10/1 | Godolphin's other leading older horse |
| Ten Bob Tony | TBC | 20/1 | Queen Anne Stakes winner at Royal Ascot |
Godolphin's older pair Notable Speech and Opera Ballo, along with More Thunder and Ten Bob Tony, add further Group 1 quality. It is worth remembering last year's Sussex produced one of the biggest shocks in British racing history when 150-1 outsider Qirat stunned the field, a reminder that this race does not always go to form. The Group 3 Molecomb Stakes for two-year-old sprinters also runs on Wednesday, won in 2025 by Ger Lyons's Lady Iman under Ryan Moore at 11-8 favourite.
Thursday 30 July: Ladies' Day And The Nassau Stakes
Thursday pairs the festival's Ladies' Day social occasion with the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, a mile and a quarter championship for fillies and mares worth £600,000. As of the five day confirmation stage 27 horses remain in with an entry, well above the maximum field of 18, with confirmations and supplementary entries due on 24 July.
| Detail | Nassau Stakes 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 30 July |
| Grade / Distance | Group 1, 1 mile 2 furlongs |
| Purse | £600,000 guaranteed |
| Eligibility | Fillies and mares, 3yo+, BHA rating 80 or higher |
| Entries At Five Day Stage | 27 (maximum field of 18) |
| Confirmation / Supplement Deadline | Friday 24 July |
| Winner's Bonus | Automatic berth in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Gulfstream Park, January |
The race also carries an automatic berth into the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park in January for the winner, part of a reciprocal partnership between Goodwood and 1/ST Racing. The Group 2 Richmond Stakes for two-year-old colts also runs on Thursday, won in 2025 by Clive Cox's Coppull, a third career victory in the race for the trainer, after the David Armstrong-owned colt blazed a trail up the stands' rail to beat Puerto Rico by two lengths.
Friday 31 July: The King George Qatar Stakes And Golden Mile
| Detail | King George Qatar Stakes | Golden Mile Handicap |
|---|---|---|
| Grade / Type | Group 2 | Heritage Handicap |
| Distance | 5 furlongs | 1 mile |
| 2025 Winner | Jm Jungle (14/1) | Rhoscolyn (11/2) |
| 2025 Trainer / Jockey | John and Sean Quinn / Jason Hart | David O'Meara / Daniel Tudhope |
| Key Note | Among the fastest sprints in Britain thanks to Goodwood's downhill straight | Rhoscolyn's third win in the race since 2020, a proven course specialist |
Friday's feature is the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes, a five furlong sprint that ranks among the fastest races run in Britain thanks to Goodwood's downhill straight, a completely separate race from Ascot's Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run earlier in the summer. The Golden Mile Handicap, a competitive heritage handicap over a mile where draw position and track placement matter enormously given Goodwood's undulating bend, also headlines the afternoon and regularly produces well backed winners.
Saturday 1 August: The Stewards' Cup
| Year | Winner | Draw | SP | Runners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Two Tribes | 24 | 11/2 | 27 |
| 2024 | Get It | 28 | 40/1 | 25 |
Both of the last two renewals were won from a high stall, a trend worth weighing against the official ratings once this year's draw is made.
The festival closes with the Coral Stewards' Cup, a Class 2 handicap over six furlongs that regularly draws fields of 28 runners and produces some of the biggest priced winners of the entire Flat season. Draw position drives outcomes here more than in almost any other British handicap, so tracking which stalls the ground has favoured across the week's earlier sprints gives a clearer read than the official ratings alone. Spreading each way betting across two or three fancied runners rather than committing to a single win bet suits the unpredictable nature of a field this size far better.
Cash Back If Your Horse Finishes 2nd Or 3rd
Place a straight win bet on the Goodwood Cup, Sussex Stakes, Nassau Stakes, King George Stakes or Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood and you'll get up to $5 cash back if your horse runs second or third. It applies to your first straight win bet on each of those races, no opt in required, and the cash back lands in your account within 24 hours.
| Race | Day | World Pool |
|---|---|---|
| Goodwood Cup | Tuesday, Goodwood Cup Day | Yes |
| Sussex Stakes | Wednesday, Sussex Stakes Day | Yes |
| Nassau Stakes | Thursday, Ladies' Day / Nassau Stakes Day | Yes |
| King George Stakes | Friday, King George Day | Yes |
| Stewards' Cup | Saturday, Stewards' Cup Day | No |
Betting The Week On MyWinners
Until fields are confirmed, the standout angle is the Sussex Stakes rematch. Bow Echo has beaten Gstaad in their last two meetings, the 2,000 Guineas and the St James's Palace Stakes, so anyone taking the field against him is betting against a horse with a genuine, repeated edge over his closest rival.
Ready To Bet Glorious Goodwood?
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
The festival runs from Tuesday 28 July to Saturday 1 August 2026 at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex.
The Sussex Stakes on Wednesday is the festival's flagship race, and its purse was raised to a record £1.5 million for 2026, making it Europe's richest one mile race.
Qirat produced one of the biggest shocks in British racing history, winning at 150-1 for Juddmonte.
The Coral Stewards' Cup on Saturday regularly draws around 28 runners, making draw position one of the most important factors in the race.
No. Goodwood's King George Qatar Stakes is a Group 2 five furlong sprint run on the Friday of Glorious Goodwood, entirely separate from the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run at Ascot earlier in the summer.
