Season hots up on Downs

Goodwood Racecourse gets racegoers in the mood for Glorious this weekend with its two biggest fixtures of the season so far.

There’s action on the Downs tomorrow and Saturday – with trials for Epsom’s upcoming Derby and Oaks among the contests on the cards.

Tomorrow’s highlights are the Height of Fashion Stakes, which often throws up some contenders for the Oaks, and the Cocked Hat

Stakes, in which Dery hopefuls often take part.

There were 16 entries for the Height of Fashion contest and 10 for the Cocked Hat ahead of final declarations, among a healthy figure of 140 across Friday’s seven-race card.

Goodwood events MD Adam Waterworth said both races featured horses that could well go to Epsom if they ran well at Goodwood

Saturday features the Tapster Stakes and Festival Stakes, the latter one of two contests which will be live on ITV4.

Goodwood officials are confident of big crowds both days as race-goers start to get their eye for Glorious week, which runs from July 26 to 30.

With the Qatar Festival in mind, four-time Goodwood Cup winner Stradivarius is on target to go for a fifth win on the Downs on day one after a superb win at York last week.

And Waterworth revealed raiders from Japan and Australia were being lined up for the Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes at Glorious.

Meanwhile Goodwood have named up-and-coming rider Hector Crouch as their ambassador for 2022. Born and raised in Chichester, Crouch started on the pony-racing circuit aged 14 and rode on the pointto-point circuit before taking out his apprentice licence in 2016.

He has enjoyed a rapid ascent through the ranks, with last year’s campaign bringing 64 winners and over £500,000 in prize money.

Closely associated with trainers Gary Moore and Ralph Beckett, the now Pulborough-based jockey was successful at Goodwood in last season’s listed Foundation Stakes aboard Victory Chimes.

The 25-year-old said: “As one of my local tracks, it is a real honour to be an ambassador for the 2022 season. The Qatar Goodwood Festival in particular, is one of my favourite racing festivals during the British Flat season, I grew up racing there.”