Height of Fashion Stakes and Cocked Hat Stakes take centre stage as Goodwood season moves up a gear

The racecourse’s two-day fixture includes some prestigious races which could be warm-ups for the big Qatar Goodwood Festival races for some runners .

And there’s an outside chance Saturday’s big two races – the Height of Fashion Stakes and Cocked Hat Stakes – will throw up winners who could then be put up for next week’s Oaks or Derby at Epsom.

Goodwood MD Adam Waterworth said it was set to be an exciting couple of days of action on the Downs.

The course opened its 2024 programme with two meetings at the start of May when the ground was still between soft and heavy, but there are hopes it will be closer to ‘good’ ground this weekend.

Waterworth said: “We’re looking forward to a strong couple of days of racing.

"We have the William Hill Festival Stakes on Friday and the William Hill Height Of Fashion Stakes and British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes on Saturday.

"Those last two are often Oaks and Derby trials and although they are only a week before Epsom this year, if something special comes out of either, you might find connections taking a chance and putting them in, as there’s no real odds-on favourite for each of the Epsom races.”

Waterworth said Goodwood’s late May fixtures were often warm-ups for Glorious week, with this week’s top performers lined up to return to the festival.

And thoughts are already turning to Glorious – with race-goers having until next Friday (May 31) to save 15 per cent on tickets.

Waterworth said it was a tough time for the racing industry to keep crowd numbers up but Goodwood was faring well, with their opening Saturday’s numbers up on last year, this weekend looking strong and the first of the upcoming Three Friday Nights already sold out.

"It’s a super-competitive environment at the moment – times are tough,” he said. "But many in racing are hopeful of keeping numbers constant this year, compared with 2023, after a decline in recent years.”

Read more soon from Adam Waterworth on the Goodwood season ahead in the Chichester Observer and on the Observer app