Top-class racing, wonderful weather, happy racegoers and contented competitors made sure Glorious Goodwood 2006 will be remembered for all the right reasons.
Goodwood Racecourse’s managing director Rod Fabricius, looking back on the five days of marvellous racing, gave special thanks to the BBC, which has been broadcasting from the course for half a century, and the race sponsors.
He also congratulated hard-working racecourse staff who ensured the event passed without a serious hitch, singling out the groundstaff team under clerk of the course Seamus Buckley for particular praise.
Fabricius said: “Seamus and his team have achieved consistent and fair ground throughout the week and there has been nothing but praise from the jockeys and trainers.”
With two Group One races and nine other contests at Group level, Glorious Goodwood provided a stream of quality for connoisseurs throughout the week.
But one race will stand in the memory for a long, long time - with Ouija Board’s thrilling battle with Alexander Goldrun in yesterday’s Vodafone Nassau Stakes simply being one of the best races ever seen on a British racecourse.
Fabricius, not prone to hyperbole, described it as “breathtaking”. Anyone glancing at the sports pages of the Sunday newspapers today will realise that he was not exaggerating about the Group One race which saw Ouija Board triumph by a short-head in the final stride or two.
“The race of the week was the Vodafone Nassau and it matches, if not eclipses, Marling beating Selkirk in the 1992 Sussex Stakes which was previously the most memorable race in my time at Goodwood.
“Ouija Board overcoming Alexander Goldrun in the Vodafone Nassau Stakes will go down in history as one of the great Goodwood races.”
Fabricius also mentioned Court Masterpiece’s success in the Group One Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, the exciting finish to yesterday’s £100,000 Vodafone Steward’s Cup and other races at the five-day meeting which ran from August 1 to August 5 at the beautiful West Sussex racecourse.
“Court Masterpiece is obviously a very robust and determined character and he was very brave to go through that gap on the rail.
“The Vodafone Stewards’ Cup was as competitive and close as ever and it was another great result for a Yorkshire trainer - Robin Bastiman - and the team behind Borderlescott, including his trio of Scottish owners.
“We’ve also seen a couple of really promising two-year-olds in Strategic Prince, who won the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes on Wednesday, and Hamoody, who took the Sterling Insurance Richmond Stakes on Friday.”
While reviewing the number of spectators that passed through Goodwood’s turnstiles, Fabricius acknowledged the numbers were down on the very high levels of last year, but said this was expected and within budgets.
He explained: “Twelve months ago when Ascot was closed, the Royal Meeting took place at York and the three-day King George VI meeting, held last weekend this year, was transferred.
“Plenty of Ascot members and racegoers came to Goodwood instead and we knew with the re-opening of Ascot this year that we would lose some of these customers.
“We would have like to have achieved 100,000 racegoers over the five days again this year but were happy with the crowd levels on the final three days.
“Goodwood prides itself on offering a quality experience to racegoers and deliberately limits capacities to try and ensure this.
“We don’t want racegoers to be jostled and unable to get a view of racing or find difficulty in getting a drink or something to eat.
“I think racegoers have enjoyed themselves and we’ve been blessed with weather that was so much better than last year. The girls in their summer frocks and the men in their panama hats are so much a part of the Goodwood experience.
“We’ve been delighted with how the week has worked out and are very grateful to the large team of people who have made it possible.”
ATTENDANCES
DAY 2006 2005 +/- +/-%
Total 95,384 107,107 -11,723 (-10.95%)
Saturday 23,083 25,885 -2,802 (-10.82%)
Friday 20,762 23,181 -2,419 (-10.44%)
Thursday 20,641 22,576 -1,935 (-8.57%)
Wednesday 17,063 19,614 -2,551 (-13.01%)
Tuesday 13,835 15,851 -2,016 (-12.72%)
Looking to the future, Fabricius added: “We will sit down and examine all the elements of this year’s Glorious Goodwood as we always do.
“There is scope to build on the Tuesday and Wednesday crowds. Our marketing strategy will be reviewed in that context.
“We went all ticket this year for the first time. We sold out in the Gordon Enclosure on Thursday and Saturday which vindicated that approach.”
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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