Tag: goodwood

Where, and what, is the ‘Trundle’?

Also known as Saint Roche’s Hill, the ‘Trundle’ is a vantage point high on the South Downs, at an elevation of 675 feet, approximately three miles north of the cathedral city of Chichester, West Sussex in South East England. Strictly speaking, the ‘Trundle’ refers to an Iron Age hill fort on Saint Roche’s Hill, the ditches and embankments marking the perimeter of which are still clearly visible, but nowadays the names are often used interchangeably. The name ‘Trundle’ is derived from the Old English word ‘tryndel’, or its variant ‘trendel’, meaning ‘circle’ or ‘ring’.

The top of the Trundle offers panoramic views across the coastal plain, and the English Channel beyond, to the south and the Weald to the north. In particular, from a horse racing perspective, the northeastern slope of the Trundle offers a clear view of Goodwood Racecourse, making it a popular, inexpensive, albeit slightly remote, viewing platform when racing is in progress. In 1933, the Duke of Richmond fenced in most of the Trundle and built an admission gate to create the ‘Trundle Enclosure’, with an admission fee of 3/- per person. The Trundle may not be as popular a vantage point as it once was, but is easily accessible by car, with a car park near the top, and nowadays offers free grandstand views of the racecourse.

What are the major races run at ‘Glorious Goodwood’?

Officially known as the Qatar Goodwood Festival, ‘Glorious Goodwood’ is a five-day meeting staged, as the name suggests, at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex in late July and early August. The major races run during the week are, in chronological order, the Qatar Goodwood Cup, the Qatar Sussex Stakes, the Qatar Nassau Stakes and the Unibet Stewards’ Cup.

The Qatar Goodwood Cup, run over 2 miles and open to horses aged three years and upwards, was awarded Group One status in 2017 and is worth £500,000 in total prize money. The Qatar Sussex Stakes, run over a mile and open to horses aged three years and upwards, has been a Group One contest since the introduction of the European Pattern Race system in 1971 and, nowadays, is considered the most prestigious race of the week at Glorious Goodwood. The Sussex Stakes is the first opportunity of the season for three-year-olds of the ‘Classic’ generation to take on older horses over a mile at the highest level and is worth £1 million in total prize money. The Qatar Nassau Stakes, run over a mile and a quarter and restricted to fillies and mares aged three years and upwards, was awarded Group one status in 1999 and is worth £600,000 in total prize money. Last, but not least, the Unibet Stewards’ Cup, inaugurated in 1840, is an ultra-competitive handicap, run over 6 furlongs, open to horses aged three years and upwards and worth £250,000 in total prize money.