Khadijah Mellah is set to make a competitive return to racing this week at the venue where she made history six years ago.

Khadijah was the first British Muslim woman to ride in – and win – a race in the UK when she triumphed in the Magnolia Cup charity race at Goodwood in 2019.

She has since secured her amateur licence and will ride the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Uncle Dick in the Gay Kindersley Memorial Amateur Riders Handicap at 5.15pm on Friday (22 August). It will be her first start as an amateur jockey.

“Riding back at Goodwood feels so special – it’s where everything began for me. So much has happened in the last six years, but the thrill of race-riding has never left me,” said Khadijah, who has since graduated from university with a degree in mechanical engineering and co-founded the Riding A Dream Academy to support other young people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds into the sport.

“I’ve been working hard riding out in Epsom, Newmarket and recently Lambourn to prepare for this, and I can’t wait to get back out there.

“I have sacrificed so much to progress as a rider and really want to be known for my achievements as an individual, rather than as a ‘hijabi jockey’. It’s hard to get rides and I am beyond grateful to Eve who has given me such a huge opportunity and has recognised my efforts.

“Being an outsider in racing can be really tough but Eve has been so welcoming and supported my progress and I will never forget it.”

Khadijah added that she “completely lost my mind” when she got the call to ask if she would like to ride in the race.

“This is just such a beautiful way to emerge again on the racing scene,” she said. “Being back at Goodwood racecourse just after seeing one of my students [Sienna Anderson] ride in the Markel Magnolia Cup, I’m so grateful.

“It’s a privilege to be in this position and I’ve given everything to make sure I can try and get the best outcome. Eve has been so brilliant and supportive, she has been so approachable and straightforward and understanding. If I’m going to ride anyone’s horse, especially for my first ride, I’m so glad it’s Eve.

“This is why we need to encourage and nurture women’s development in horseracing. Visibility and seeing it to believe it is so important, but also having a relatable person to go to for advice makes a massive difference.”

On watching what Sienna has achieved with the support of the Riding A Dream Academy, Khadijah said: “She already looks so much better than I ever was. It just shows the quality of the programme we deliver and how much talent and ambition there is within the next generation.

“Diversity can bring so much excitement into this sport. There are going to be some kids who want this so badly, just as I do, and really bring out the best in racing. Sienna rode a brilliant race and pushed a great finish, and that just shows, and it is a taster of what’s to come.

“It’s important for me as a role model to keep pushing to different heights and lead by example and show the kids I’m teaching that even though it’s hard, you can try and do more. I want to try to win under Rules.”

Goodwood racecourse director said that Khadijah “captured global attention in 2019 when she stormed to victory”.

“At only 18, her win was nothing short of spectacular,” he added. “We’re delighted to welcome her back to Goodwood this Friday, as she returns to the scene of her triumph for her debut as an amateur jockey.”

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A 72-year-old rider taking on her first Flat race at Goodwood this week said it is a “wonderful opportunity” to show others what is possible.

Caroline Miller will be one of 12 lining up for the Markel Magnolia Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, on 4 August. The ladies’ charity race is this year in aid of Education Above All.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be an inspiration to anybody out there, there’s no reason you can’t do something extra in your life, get off the sofa and onto a horse and train,” she said.

“It’s the most exhilarating and rewarding thing you could ever do, especially raising money and meeting a huge selection of new people.”

All rider in the race have had to pass a fitness assessment that “mirrors” the one required to be a professional jockey.

“Eight exercises made up of a four-minute plank, leg raises, three-minute ball squats, and a Watt bike challenge, to name a few, make this a true test of physical durability,” a Goodwood spokesman said. “One that Miller passed with flying colours, showcasing her incredible determination.”

Caroline, who has ridden in point-to-points, and is a racing fan and supporter of rehoming racehorses, said her training and assessment have been a “terrific” experience.

“I’ve always been very sporty and I’ve always adored animals and the outdoors,” she said.

“I’ve joined a gym which I’ve never done before. I always used to run, play tennis and do the odd Pilates class but joining a gym has been incredible. It transforms your body, transforms your mind.

“I’ve always wanted to ride in a Flat race and hopefully win at some point. I am 72 which is an incredible age because you don’t get many jockeys riding at 72! To do this at an advanced age I feel very happy about. I try not to think about the age because it’s only a number and you can’t be thinking negatively, you’ve got to be thinking positively. If I can do this I will be really thrilled.”

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The former British Dressage president the Duchess of Richmond and Gordon died peacefully on 13 June, aged 90.

Born in 1932, the duchess grew up with her grandparents in Tetbury while her parents were in Egypt during World War II. In 1951 she married Charles Gordon-Lennox, the Earl of March and Kinrara, and future 10th Duke of Richmond.

In 1968 the couple took on Goodwood House and Estate, and the duchess returned to her childhood passion of horses. She developed a love of dressage and rode in the first competition held at Goodwood in 1973 on her Arab, Sword of Islam.

The duchess became key to the development of dressage in this country, and was president of British Dressage from 2007 to 2012. Goodwood held 21 international dressage competitions between 1973 and 1993, and the duchess was integral in helping to persuade the German riders to bring their top horses to compete in the UK, which gave the British an insight into top-class dressage.

In 1978 Goodwood hosted the UK’s first World Dressage Championships, where Jennie Loriston-Clarke won Britain’s first dressage medal, a bronze on Dutch Courage. The following year the venue hosted the country’s first international grand prix freestyle competition.

As well as the international competition, Goodwood hosted the British Dressage National Championships starting in 1981. The 1993 national championships were the last major event to be held at the venue before the duke and duchess retired in 1994. The duchess continued charitable work on the estate, and in 2000 was instrumental in making Goodwood Home Farm completely organic.

The duchess was predeceased by her husband. She leaves her children Ellinor, Charles, Maria, Naomi, and Louisa, 13 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

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A professional dancer whose life was turned upside-down when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) is to become the first known female jockey to ride with the condition, in the Markel Magnolia Cup.

Olivia Kimber will be one of the 12 female jockeys lining up for the charity race on 28 July at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. The 28-year-old from Portsmouth said she went to see her GP after she noticed some unusual symptoms.

“I started noticing bizarre symptoms last October, such as numbness and loss of sensation between my right hip and knee, pins and needles in my right foot and double vision whenever I looked to the left,” she told H&H. “But I thought as I’m a dancer, I might have trapped a nerve and that the issues would disappear. However, five weeks later, they got worse and my leg was starting to drag on the floor, so I went to see my GP.”

Olivia was immediately referred to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and an MRI of her brain showed multiple swellings. She was diagnosed with a rare form of MS.

“My world came crashing down at 27 years of age with this diagnosis. It’s just rubbish,” she said. “The doctors advised that while relapses may be few and far between and that medication and research has come on tremendously, later on in life disabling factors are highly likely.”

Olivia said she applied to take part in the Magnolia Cup soon after her diagnosis.

“I was scrolling through social media and I saw that applications had opened for those who might want to take part in the race,” said Olivia. “I thought ‘do you know what? There’s no better time to give this a go and to give myself a goal and something to look forward to.”

Thousands apply to take part in the race each year, and Olivia did not think her application would be successful.

“I didn’t expect anything from from applying and then two months later I got a phone call to say I had made the cut – I was absolutely ecstatic,” she said. “I’ve been racing at Goodwood my whole life as it’s a local track and my family own racehorses, so it’s really special that I’ll now get to ride there.”

Prior to securing her place in the race, Olivia had no experience of riding racehorses in training.

“I have an ex-racehorse and have competed at a low level locally, doing a bit of everything, but I’d never ridden up gallops in racing tack,” said Olivia, who started riding out for Berkshire Downs-based trainer Eve Johnson-Houghton in February.

It has not been plain sailing for Olivia while she has been riding out at Eve’s twice a week, riding three or four lots per morning.

“It has been quite difficult – I wasn’t expecting it to be quite such a challenge,” she said. “In March I contracted Covid but didn’t realise and while riding out one morning, my leg went numb while I was galloping and I could feel myself starting to topple sideways. Thankfully I was on an absolute saint of a horse and I managed to pull him up.

“That was a reality check for me and I had to admit that I get very fatigued more quickly than I used to.”

Before taking part in any charity race, all participants must past a rigorous fitness test, which is run by the British Racing School to make sure all jockeys are up to the challenge and will be safe on a racecourse.

“The test was brutal,” said Olivia, who has sessions with a personal trainer and goes to the gym two or three times a week in preparation for the race. “But I was told that I passed with ‘flying colours’. We had to squat for four minutes on a wobble cushion, which I managed to do, but by the end my leg had completely gone and I had to be helped by someone to stand up properly.”

In terms of her goal for the race, Olivia, who continues to dance and teaches 10 ballet classes? each week. is very clear.

“I want to canter down to the start and finish the race in one piece. I don’t care where I’m placed – I just want to enjoy it and ride a race. For me just being able to get there is a huge achievement,” she said.

Donations can be made to support Olivia on her fundraising page.

Since its inception 11 years ago, Magnolia Cup has raised £1.8m for various charities. This year, funds will be raised for The Brilliant Breakfast, an initiative in aid of The Prince’s Trust.

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Glorious Goodwood, or the Qatar Goodwood Festival, as it is known in 2021, gets underway today (27 July – 31 July).

A highlight of the summer Flat season, Glorious Goodwood offers viewers and spectators a feast of some of the best racing action, with 36 races taking place over the five-day meeting.

The meeting features no less than three Group One races – Group One being the highest level of Flat racing – with some of Britain and Europe’s best horses, trainers and jockeys going head-to-head throughout the week.

In addition, there are five Group Two races, five Group Three races and some sought-after handicaps too, which means viewers will be spoilt in terms of top notch racing action.

Glorious Goodwood takes place in the picturesque West Sussex countryside and is steeped in history with the first public meeting at the course dating back to 1802.

The 2021 meeting will offer a mouthwatering prize pot in excess of £4.8m over the five days of action, so here’s the important things you need to know to make the most of watching the action…

Trainer to watch

Charlie Hills is a trainer to watch this week as he prepares to send Battaash out in a bid for this horse to win his fifth consecutive victory in the King George Qatar Stakes on Friday. Charlie also has Tilsit, winner of the Summer Mile, who will bid to win a Group One in the Qatar Sussex Stakes on Wednesday.

Jockey to watch

Frankie Dettori shows no sign of slowing down, despite now being 50 years old, as he continues to ride Group One winner after winner. He is booked to ride some good horses this week, so keep a close eye on him.

Horse to watch

There are many famous racehorses to look out for this week, but keep an eye on Poetic Flare in Wednesday’s Qatar Sussex Stakes. Trained by Jim Bolger, he was impressive when winning at Royal Ascot in June, which followed up his 2,000 Guineas at the start of the season.

Key races at Glorious Goodwood

Tuesday 27 July – Goodwood Cup day

The main race highlight is the Qatar Goodwood Cup.

Wednesday 28 July – Sussex Stakes day

The Qatar Sussex Stakes has previously been won by the likes of Frankel and in 2020, the mighty Mohaather.

Thursday 29 July – Ladies’ Day

Ladies’ Day features the Qatar Nassau Stakes and the Magnolia Cup too.

Friday 30th July – King George day

The Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes is a sprint race not to be missed. This year, the incredible Battaash bids to clock his fifth win in this race.

Saturday 31st July – Stewards’ Cup day

The Unibet Stewards’ Cup is another sprint race and previous winners include Lochsong and Dancing Star.

How to watch Glorious Goodwood from home

ITV Racing will be showing the first five races on all days of Glorious Goodwood with coverage starting at 1.30pm and finishing at 4.30pm from Tuesday to Friday. On Saturday, coverage starts at 1.10pm and finishes at 4pm.

Racing TV will be showing all of the races from Goodwood live every day of the festival.

Unusual facts about Glorious Goodwood

The first meeting at Goodwood on the Sussex Downs took place over 200 years ago.

Goodwood is a racecourse like no other, with undulations and a tight, right-handed loop, which means horses have to be brave and well-balanced.

Edward VII described Glorious Goodwood as “a garden party with racing tacked on’’, and he shocked racegoers in 1906 by dressing in a Panama hat and linen suit, but the idea caught on and it is now the unofficial uniform for gentlemen at the festival.

The 2m5f Goodwood Stakes is unusual as it is one of the few races on the Flat started by tape and runners race up the straight the wrong way on the first circuit.

One of the few races on the Flat started by tape, the marathon event requires a special type of horse as tensions often reach boiling point when contenders jockey for position in front of the stands.

Famous victories at the meeting

Frankel – winner of the 2011 Sussex Stakes

Big Orange – winner of the 2015 Goodwood Cup

Rock Of Gibraltar – winner of the 2002 Sussex Stakes

Stradivarius – four times winner of the Goodwood Cup

Battaash – winner of the 2018 King George Stakes

Dress code

While there is no strict dress code, racegoers are encouraged to dress to impress.

The Magnolia Cup

On Thursday 29 July 2021, 11 women will ride in The Magnolia Cup at Goodwood, all in aid of supporting women. This renowned charity event sees riders – leading women of business, sport, fashion and media – take part in the opening race of Ladies’ Day.

In 2019 Khadijah Mellah helped the race make headlines around the globe, as she became the first woman to not only ride in but also to win a race in Britain wearing a hijab.

Tickets

Tickets are still available and all are welcome to attend Glorious Goodwood. Prices start from £20 and there are a range of packages available, ranging from basic entry, which includes:

• Trackside viewing
• Big screen viewing so you can see the racing action from start to finish.
• Grandstand (seated and standing)
• Betting facilities including over 30 bookmakers for fixed odds betting and pool betting
• A choice of outdoor bars and food outlets
• Bring your own picnic (alcohol not permitted)
• Live Irish band
• Children’s play area

There are also a range of hospitality packages available, starting from £252 and private boxes from £546.

How to get there

Goodwood is located just outside Chichester, only 60 miles from London, 30 miles from Brighton and Southampton.

There are a number of free and paid-for car parking options available.

Chichester Railway Station is a 15 minute taxi or bus ride from the racecourse. The 900 bus service operates from Chichester Railway Station to the racecourse each day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, costing £5 single and £7.50 return (£3 single and £3.50 return for children). It departs at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour, from 10.15am until 2.15pm. The last return journey from the racecourse will be 30 minutes following the last race.

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Tickets are on sale for the Qatar Goodwood (27-31 July) and Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor (18-21 August) Flat racing festivals as hopes abound that fans will be able to return to sporting venues this summer.

A number of other racecourses have also shared early plans for the return of spectators this year, in line with Covid protocols and the Government roadmap out of lockdown.

The latest news from Royal Ascot (15-19 June), dated 22 February, is that the venue hopes to welcome racegoers to the royal meeting “assuming the Government plan remains on track”. A further update is expected from the racecourse “as early as possible in April”.

Goodwood was one of the venues set to host spectators at its 2020 festival, as part of a pilot for the return of fans, but hopes were dashed at the 11th hour following a Government announcement.

“We are delighted at the prospect of welcoming members and the wider general public back to these two key racing festivals this summer,” said Goodwood racecourse managing director, Adam Waterworth.

“Everyone has been incredibly supportive through very challenging times, and these fixtures will bring people back together to witness this sport back at its best.”

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William Derby, clerk of the course and chief executive of York racecourse added: “Racegoers have been starved of live racing action for over a year now, and this is something for all our fans to look forward to. Being large open-air venues, we have the space and capacity to make sure everyone feels happy about being back.

“We can’t wait to join racegoers in seeing top-class racing action, sharing those moments and experiences that can return, with the hoped-for easing of protocols.”

Bookings at both York and Goodwood will come with a “money-back guarantee” and both venues have assured fans that whatever Covid-19 measures are required will be in place on racedays.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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Nine men have been given prison sentences for their involvement in a raceday brawl.

A total of 11 men were convicted of offences related to the fight, at Goodwood racecourse on 5 May 2018.

Four people were seriously injured on the opening day of Goodwood’s summer evening fixture list last year. Shocking footage shared on social media at the time showed a man being kicked in the side of the head as he lay on the ground.

The final hearings ended on Tuesday (12 November) at Guildford Crown Court. The longest sentence was 24 months and the group will serve a combined total of more than nine years.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has excluded all 11 from the sport, meaning they cannot enter any racecourse or premises licensed by the authority, such as a training yard.

The exclusions are for an “indefinite period”, but a minimum of three years.

“A day at the races is a fun, safe and relaxing day out that is suitable for all the family,” said Chris Watts, BHA head of integrity, following the conclusion of the hearings.

“The sport will not tolerate any incidents of serious anti-social behaviour and, in this case, gratuitous violence.

“On the very rare occasions it does occur, we will work collaboratively with the police and the racecourses to ensure that the appropriate action is taken against the individuals involved.”

Adam Waterworth, managing director of sport at Goodwood racecourse, added that the sentences send out a “strong message”.

“We are delighted that the evidence we provided has helped secure an appropriately serious sentence for the perpetrators of this incident,” he said.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

“We take a zero-tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour here at Goodwood, and to support this, we installed an extensive CCTV network across the course a few years ago, which helped us provide clear footage to Sussex police of the incident.

“This sends out a strong message to the public – anti-social behaviour is not welcome at Goodwood, and we will continue to be vigilant so racegoers can enjoy the best possible experience when they come racing with us.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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A documentary charting the story the Peckham teenager Khadijah Mellah, who made history at this summer’s Glorious Goodwood, will air on ITV this weekend.

Khadijah, 18, stormed into the history books when she won the Magnolia Cup at the Sussex racecourse on 1 August.

She first sat on a racehorse just four months previously and the Magnolia Cup marked the first time a person had raced in a hijab on a British racecourse, with her victory making her the first British Muslim woman to ride a winner on UK soil.

Riding A Dream, produced by UnVeil Arts, will be shown on ITV at 12.15pm on Saturday (2 November) — directly after the Rugby World Cup final.

“A big part of my life has been proving people wrong,” said Khadijah, who won the charity race aboard the Charlie Fellows-trained Haverland.

“I am thrilled that I am part of a shift in social understanding of what women can achieve and what they can be good at. There’s quite a stereotype around Muslim girls and them ‘not being able to follow their sporting dreams’. I want to be a role model to anyone who wants to do something that they wouldn’t initially believe was in their comfort zone and allow people to follow their aspirations and dreams.”

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The documentary follows Khadijah’s journey from Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, where she learnt to ride, through the challenges she faced while preparing for the race — including fasting during Ramadan, preparing for her A-levels and making the jump from riding in a school to galloping racehorses.

“Growing up in Peckham with no real connection to horses before she started riding at Ebony Horse Club, Khadijah’s fairytale story broke down barriers and stereotypes and proved that there are no limits to what you can achieve when you put your mind to it,” states the synopsis from ITV.

“Hers is a story that not only impressed a nation but also inspired the world.”

For a full interview with Khadijah, don’t miss today’s issue of Horse & Hound (7 November).

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

I think I have a love-hate relationship with riding at Goodwood. I love it because it’s a local track of mine — I grew up in West Sussex and was going there from a young age — but it can be a very frustrating place at times.

I’ve had some good moments at Goodwood in the past, including winning the Lillie Langtry Stakes in 2015 aboard Simple Verse before she went on to win the St Leger. I’ve had six winners there this season and I was happy to put one on the board at the “Glorious” meeting and for John Gosden as well.

However, I can’t help but feel that there were a couple of near misses that could have gone in, too.

The nature of Goodwood is that those things just happen and there were probably a few jockeys over the course of the week who felt the same as I did. You end up getting caught on the rail a lot, you can’t get out when you want and then it can become quite frustrating.

Sometimes, like on Forest Of Dean in the Unibet Handicap, I went down on the rail and that is obviously the trickier route. If it pays off, it really does pay off, but at the same time it’s very easy to be caught in traffic, not get a run and come back thinking you could have won.

I suppose it’s one of those places where you couldn’t say the best horse always wins. At the likes of Newbury, York or Ascot — big galloping tracks with a long straight — the best horse does usually come home ahead.

A stunning view

It is definitely one of the best tracks for a spectator. Firstly, there’s the location and the view you get over the South Downs is second to none. There’s nowhere else I could really compare it to. You get high-class racing and there is always a good atmosphere. Although I don’t ever go as a spectator, you feel that they do things properly.

Winners worth watching

On the track, I thought Pinatubo, under James Doyle, was impressive in the Qatar Vintage Stakes. Charlie Appleby’s two-year-old looks to be the stand-out juvenile so far this season, quickening up well from what looked a quality field.

The winner of the Lillie Langtry, the John Gosden-trained filly Enbihaar, looked to be a Group One winner in waiting, too. And it was great to see a Japanese-trained winner in the Nassau Stakes.

The strong pace helped the race pan out for Deirdre, but she’s still a very good mare.

Causing a Twitter frenzy

My phone went absolutely mad for a couple of days after a video of me kissing the horse next to me in the starting stall on the nose went viral on Twitter — unbeknown to me until I had finished riding on Friday.

It was my first of five rides that day and one of those spur-of-the-moment things.

It wasn’t my intention to cause a social media stir. Don’t ask me why I did it, I just did. It wasn’t my intention but it’s a positive spin, and does me — and racing — no harm.

Ref Horse & Hound; 8 August 2019

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During this week’s Qatar Goodwood Festival (30 July-3 August), a unique kind of horse race takes place amid candlelight on the lawns of Goodwood House.

The famous contest between two horses is a popular highlight of the Regency Ball, which took place on Thursday evening (1 August).

Described as a “truly magical and uplifting sight”, the horse race takes place through the parkland in the black of night — with the course lit with flares just as it was in the 18th Century.

The spectacle is reminiscent of the inaugural public race meeting held at Goodwood by the third Duke of Richmond in 1802, during which the Duke and his horse, Cedar, were beaten by the Prince of Wales on Rebel, who collected the winning pocket of 100 guineas.

With guests dressed in regency attire, Goodwood House comes alive and has been described as like walking onto a film set.

The horses used in the “race” are retired thoroughbreds and, with their riders, they go head-to-head, completing five circuits of the track.

The raceweek Regency Ball also honours the commitment of the inspirational women taking to the Goodwood Racecourse turf in the annual charity race, the Magnolia Cup. Over £100,000 has been raised for this year’s charity, Wellbeing of Women.

“The Regency Ball horse race was wonderful to watch,” says BBC South weather presenter and journalist Alexis Green, who was one of the 12 lady riders taking part in the Magnolia Cup and finished second behind 18-year-old Khadijah Mellah.

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“The race started after dinner at around 10.30pm, with guests climbing through the large sash windows out onto the lawn to watch — which was also a brilliant sight in itself!

“We all stood behind a rope fence by the start while the two horses and their jockeys were paraded. We were able to bet on a horse to win — £50 per bet — which went to charity. Once they had started, we all cheered them on as they cantered past each time. Many of the guests were dressed up in regency costume — it was a truly lovely atmosphere.”

Don’t miss our full report from the Qatar Goodwood Festival in the 8 August issue of Horse & Hound. For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss the magazine — on sale every Thursday.

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Teenager Khadijah Mellah made history with her winning ride in the Magnolia Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival today (1 August) as the first woman to race in a hijab in Britain.

Khadijah gave the Charlie Fellowes-trained Haverland a well-judged ride, pipping Land Filly and BBC presenter Alexis Green into second by three-quarters of a length. In third was Clewbrious Company, ridden by Rachael Gowland.

The 18-year-old from Peckham, south London, sat on a racehorse for the first time in April and started riding out for Charlie just six weeks ago.

Her introduction to riding came through Brixton-based charity, Ebony Horse Club.

“There are no words to describe this — I’m lost for words,” said the A-level student.

“I’m still trying to figure out how it all happened, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has come along to support. I’m so happy that Haverland is well — I’ve been riding him a lot at Charlie’s and I love him so much.”

Khadijah, who has revealed she would like to apply for her amateur licence, added horses bring her “immeasurable amounts of happiness”.

“I’ve always loved them and always will and I hope to carry on and keep riding,” she said.

“Ambitious women can make it — that’s all I want to represent. Be ambitious and do it. I’ve had so much support, and I can’t wait to see other stories about women who achieve something.”

She said while she wanted to win, she never expected to.

“At the start it was dead silent, and I wanted people [other riders] to start talking. I thought ‘Oh my god, would someone smile, please’. I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was crazy,” she said.

“When we set off there were three horses in front of me and the kickback was flying in my face and I decided to pull out and see what happens. When I passed the post I couldn’t believe it, and then I saw all my family and friends and started crying.”

Khadijah thanked her instructor, Naomi, and all those who have helped her in her journey.

“Initially, riding out at Charlie Fellowes’ yard was quite difficult because it was such a new experience, but Charlie, and Chris Wall and all the trainers I’ve ridden out with have been amazing in helping me,” she said.

“I didn’t really know how to ride, and Charlie has been so amazing, I can’t thank him enough.”

Charlie added that Khadijah gave the horse “the most unbelievable ride”.

“She was so cool — she followed the right horse through and she did absolutely brilliantly,” said the Newmarket-based trainer.

“I’m speechless, shaking, I can’t believe it. She is the most incredible young lady you will ever come across. How she has done that is beyond remarkable.

“Every single time we have asked Khadijah to come forward she has done so, emphatically. She is the most wonderful young lady I have ever had anything to do with — she has a smile that lights up our yard. She has taken this so incredibly well.

“I thought she might finish in the first four, but she has ridden an absolute peach of a race. She was in the perfect position, won nicely and a shade cosily — I hope the handicapper wasn’t watching!”

The partnership came about via Oli Bell, Khadijah’s mentor for the Magnolia Cup, who called Charlie to ask if he had a suitable horse — which he did.

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“[Haverland] is a gentleman and very safe, and I knew he would look after her — also the conditions of the race suit him,” said Charlie.

“The two of them have become the most fantastic partnership, but never did I think they could win the race.

“Khadijah is so brave and the process never fazed her one bit. We’ve taken baby steps, but until last week she had never galloped or gone at this pace.

“We took her to the Rowley Mile for a piece of work, Hayley [Turner] rode with her, and I said to Oli, ‘If she nails this then we are okay’. She absolutely nailed it and I came away with a smile on my face.

“Females in racing have always had a good position but Muslim females? There’s not many of them [in the industry]. It’s wonderful and it shows actually what an inclusive sport this is because I think it has a reputation for not being inclusive. It’s not, it is open to everyone and we welcome everyone with open arms, especially young ladies like that.”

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The 12 gutsy women going head-to-head in this year’s Magnolia Cup (Thursday, 1 August) at the Qatar Goodwood Festival are in the final stages of their charity race preparation with just six weeks go.

The ladies recently spent a day in Newmarket being put through various fitness tests — both on and off the horse — in order to secure their place in the prestigious race.

The line up comprises faces from the worlds of business, sport, fashion, music and media, including model Vogue Williams, ex-Apprentice star Luisa Zissman and former Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton.

Each rider has been working on their fitness and riding technique on the build up to Goodwood, while also riding out at trainers’ yards in the mornings.

“My first taste of riding came at 11 years of age, but I’ve hardly done any since,” says Vogue. “Under the guidance of trainer Jim Boyle my confidence has developed — he has taught me about control and pace.

“Every time I passed a horse on the gallops going too fast, the girls charged me a tenner as a joke, so I learnt very quickly about the required control and balance. I’ve definitely caught the racing bug,” she adds. “Riding horses challenges a completely different set of muscle groups, which is very difficult to train for in a gym.”

Retail entrepreneur Luisa says: “All the ladies taking part are so supportive of one another and it has spurred me on. The whole experience has involved a huge amount of commitment — I’m hugely competitive and will be looking to win.”

This year, Greek designer Mary Katrantzou will design the elaborate silks worn by the jockeys in the Magnolia Cup.

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The 12 ladies taking part are:

Alexis Green (BBC weather presenter)

Georgia Connolly (ambassador for the Victoria Racing Club)

Kate Grover (executive assistant at MW&L Capital Partners Ltd)

Khadijah Mellah (member of Ebony Horse Club)

Kitty Trice (Racing Post journalist)

Luisa Zissman (Retail entrepreneur and reality TV star)

Rachael Gowland (British European Breeders Fund marketing communications manager)

Rosie Tapner (model and presenter)

Sophie Van Der Merwe (professional event rider)

Valeria Holinger (skikjöring racer and Head Switzerland marketing assistant)

Victoria Pendleton (Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist)

Vogue Williams (TV presenter and model)

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One young rider from Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club will be donning silks and breeches for the first time in this year’s Magnolia Cup on 1 August, during the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Khadijah Mellah is currently combining studying for her A-levels this summer with a gruelling fitness regime, in preparation for her transition from riding club ponies to thoroughbreds on raceday at the West Sussex track.

The 18-year-old, who hopes to study engineering at university in September, has been a member of the Ebony Horse Club for five years. Having learnt to ride at the London riding school — which offers inner-city children the opportunity to develop and work alongside horses — Khadijah went on to ride out for racehorse trainers Chris Wall in Newmarket and Simon Dow in Epsom. The teenager visited a racecourse for the first time when attending Newmarket’s Craven Meeting in April.

“I am super-duper excited about riding in the Magnolia Cup,” she said. “It was a great experience riding at Chris and Simon’s yards, and seeing how different racehorses are.

“It was my first time on a racecourse at Newmarket last month so it was good to get my head around what a raceday is like and what it’ll be like on the day. It’s going to be a busy few months with my A-levels as well but I can’t wait to get going.”

She will be joining 11 other riders at the start line in the famous charity race, including model Vogue Williams and former Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton.

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A short film, funded by Great British Racing, Goodwood Racecourse and The Racing Foundation, will document Khadijah’s journey from Brixton to Goodwood.

ITV Racing presenter Oli Bell, who is a patron of Ebony Horse Club, added: “I am incredibly excited about the documentary and its potential to shine a light on Ebony’s brilliant work, plus the ways in which it is opening up opportunities for its members in racing — the sport that I love.

“It will be an incredible achievement for Khadijah to go from riding at the club to being able to compete on a racehorse at Goodwood — we are all so impressed with her commitment and drive. She is a great personality and a brilliant rider, and we will all be rooting for her in the Magnolia Cup.”

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The winner of the 2018 Magnolia Cup said she is “absolutely thrilled” to have secured ownership of her victorious ride.

Katie Forrest, who took the title on the George Baker-trained Harry Hurricane on 2 August, launched a campaign to keep the six-year-old after the owners decided to sell him at the Tattersalls’ Autumn Horses in Training sale on 30 October.

Katie has bought Harry with her parents, Tim and Susie Forrest, and Alex Embiricos and Paul Brown. The syndicate is being managed by Dare to Dream Racing.

Katie told H&H: “We were so fortunate to pull it all together in time so Harry didn’t have to go to the sale. I am so grateful for all of the messages of support I have received during my campaign, it felt batty buying a racehorse because there is so much I don’t know about racing.

“Alex occasionally rides out at George Baker’s yard and has a huge history in racing through her late father, Nick Embirico. He owned the Grand National winner Aldaniti and they helped set up the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. Alex loves Harry and it tied in really nicely her coming on board with the charity link, with the Magnolia Cup supporting Cancer Research too.

“Paul is a really good friend who supported me through the Magnolia Cup process and is mad about horses so he said he would buy a leg. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Katie said the support from Dare to Dream Racing has been “phenomenal”.

“Dare to Dream was introduced to me by a friend. Will Smith and Ian Sharrock, the co-owners, have been incredible and so supportive. I love the fact the syndicate is called Dare to Dream, if you had told me six months ago I would have told you how ridiculous it sounded,” said Katie. “It was the Magnolia Cup that really introduced me to racing, I’ve always followed it but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would own a racehorse and be a part of it.

“The fact they are called Dare to Dream made me think this is a sign. Any dream you have you just have to go for it, and they were huge part of making this come about. Without their support and expertise I would have been going into this blind.”

Harry will race in the Dare to Dream colours of bright orange.

“He had a great run at Lingfield on 24 November and came second. Now he’s going to have the winter off and holiday at Alex’s farm before going back to George Baker in the spring.

“George knows him so well having had him since a yearling so he is in great hands and the team there manage him brilliantly. They really get him and know how to keep him on track. We’re really excited about next year.”

Katie said she won’t rule out riding Harry in a race herself again.

“The charity race was amazing, but I definitely think Harry deserves to have a proper jockey riding him. I’ll get so much enjoyment watching him, I don’t need to be on top and can leave it to the professionals – but never say never,” she said.

“The racing world is a whole new game to me, but I’m loving it – it’s been absolutely wonderful.

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“If I’d had to look back at pictures from the Magnolia Cup knowing Harry was somewhere else I would have been so heartbroken and the day would have lost so much meaning to me. He’s going to have a great fun future with us, it just means everything. I think he is going to do us very proud next year.

“As long as Harry stays sound and happy we think he’s got a few more years racing before he retires and once he retires we’ll see what he wants to do then.”

Will Smith of Dare to Dream Racing told H&H: “It was an easy decision to become involved because Harry is a proven racehorse and with a great trainer. We could see how passionate and enthusiastic Katie is about Harry. This was a unique opportunity to let someone follow their dream of what they wanted to achieve, Katie hadn’t owned a racehorse before or even really been involved in racing so it was a case of putting our expertise together and letting Katie following her dream.”

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The winner of the 2018 charity Magnolia Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival is trying to attract budding owners to join a syndicate to buy her winning ride.

Katie Forrest, who took the victory on the George Baker-trained Hurricane Harry on 2 August, has launched a campaign to keep the six-year-old who is being offered for sale on Tuesday (30 October) at Tattersalls’ Autumn Horses in Training sale.

Katie told H&H: “The owners are looking to sell him but I can’t afford to buy him on my own so if I can possibly find a syndicate of people to help share the costs we might be able to keep him.

“He’s been at George’s yard since he was a yearling and is looked after beautifully and it would be fantastic to keep him there. I’ve got far too attached to Harry, he’s so special and such a poppet.

“Ideally we will get a group of people involved in a syndicate and get a good price for him at the sale. It could be three people or 23, I just want to be part of his ownership and know he’s ok.”

Katie, who had been riding out for trainer George and his wife Candida Baker for a few months before the race, found out a week before the Magnolia Cup that she would be riding Harry and said she burst into tears of happiness with the news.

“I’m normally super nervous before a race but all my nerves went with Harry and I had the biggest smile on my face, I just thought I can do this – he’s going to look after me. It was the biggest competition of my life,” she said.

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“He can look like a grumpy man sometimes but then I go into and give him a cuddle and he melts. I’m always spoiling him and grooming him.”

Katie said Harry is fit and ready to race.

“He’s running well and it would be great to keep him in training, he has a few years left racing. If we managed to buy him and he eventually retires from racing I’d love to retrain him – he’s a very clever horse.”

Interested parties can email Katie Forrest on katie.forrest@icloud.com.

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Businesswoman Katie Forrest steered the George Baker-trained Hurricane Harry to success in this year’s Magnolia Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, raising vital funds for Cancer Research UK.

It has been a “whirlwind” few months for the design agency managing director, who stepped up to the challenge in May when one rider dropped out.

The Swarovski-sponsored charity race runs over five furlongs and involves a field of inspirational ladies donning silks and breeches to battle it out for the Magnolia Cup title.

“I begged to do this race in March, but the riders had already been selected,” said Katie. “Then one dropped out in May and I got my chance to take part. Since then it has been a whirlwind to get ready for this, but it’s been worth it.

“I can’t even put my feelings into words. Mick Fitzgerald said winning [the Grand National] was better than sex and it really is.”

It was also a personal journey for Surrey-based Katie because her father Tim is undergoing treatment for cancer. Both her parents were at Goodwood to watch their daughter walk into the winner’s enclosure.

“It will be a big boost for my dad and I’ve raised £10,000 to do this, so to win it as well is insane. I owe it all to George Baker and his team, and Harry Hurricane literally carried me home — I didn’t have a clue what I was doing half the time.”

She added: “I got a good start, but the Bakers drilled it into me saying: ‘Nail the start and you will be halfway there’. I got to about a furlong out and thought ‘I don’t know where everyone else is but I’m going to keep going.’ By then my legs had gone and I was wobbling, but the horse kept going and is a legend.”

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Candida Baker, the wife of the winning trainer, said: “Katie has been riding out for us for some months, but she only had six weeks’ preparation for this. We’ve had this horse for a long time and he’s part of the family — Katie proved to us that she was good enough to ride him.

“He’s a strong horse at home and not an easy ride, but towards the end she really got to grips with him. Two weeks ago, I said she could ride him here and she burst into tears — so then I burst into tears.”

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Lil Rockerfeller is best known as a successful three-mile hurdler, who has racked up over £400,000 in prize money for his owners.

But he put on a remarkable display of versatility when winning the 2m5f Matchbook Betting Podcast Goodwood Handicap at the Qatar Goodwood Festival yesterday (1 August).

The top-class staying hurdler, who won Ascot’s Grade Two Coral Hurdle in November, is rated 153 over hurdles and just 82 on the Flat. This was his first run on the Flat since May 2015.

The seven-year-old gelding, trained by Neil King, dominated the 14-runner field at “Glorious Goodwood” to win comfortably by 15 lengths to runner-up Altaayil, pocketing the £31,125 first prize for connections.

The Wiltshire-based trainer is best known for sending out National Hunt runners and was enjoying his first Goodwood winner.

“I’m so thrilled with him,” said Neil. “His joint-owner Andy Smith had had his heart set on winning this race for the past year, but I was worried about the ground at this time of year — he’s missed two engagements because of quick ground already this season. He’s been on the go a long time since finishing second at Sandown [over hurdles in late April], and I’m delighted we have pulled it off.

“He is set to go novice chasing in the autumn, but this is one of the few Flat races we can run him in because he failed a stalls test, and this race is started with a flag.”

Mr Smith added: “A year ago, I said to the other lads in the partnership ‘Let’s go for this race at Goodwood’, they all said ‘We don’t want to run him on the Flat’ and I told them to trust me.

“Trevor Whelan [who rides Lil Rockerfeller over jumps] made this horse, but was not going to be able to do the weights, so I rang jockey agent Shelley Dwyer two weeks ago and booked Silvestre De Sousa.

“Then the top weight came out, the weights went up 7lb and I was gutted for Trevor, but what could I do? I had booked the champion jockey and couldn’t turn him down.”

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The David Simcock-trained Lightning Spear claimed yesterday’s feature race, the Group One Qatar Sussex Stakes, running on strongly for his jockey Oisin Murphy.

“But the biggest shock of the day came in the 4.10pm Victoria Racing Club Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, when the aptly named Feel Glorious, trained by George Baker, won at a huge price of 125/1.

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Sniffer dogs will be in operation at all Goodwood fixtures following a mass brawl at its opening raceday of the 2018 season.

The racecourse is enhancing its security for “all future fixtures” following an “extensive review” of the fight involving around 50 people on 5 May.

Sussex Police will now be present at every raceday and all members of the Goodwood security teams will wear high-visibility clothing.

Sniffer dogs, which have previously been used at certain fixtures, will be at every fixture and there will be an added push to encourage racegoers to use amnesty drug bins.

“We have conducted a thorough and extensive review of everything that happened at our first fixture, of our existing policies and held a detailed consultation with our safety advisory group and Sussex Police,” said general manager Alex Eade.

“We have also been working with the Racecourse Association and our other Large Independent Racecourse colleagues to ensure that we are part of the industry-wide crackdown on anti-social behaviour.”

Random bag searches will continue to take place at all entrances and anyone found with drugs on them will be evicted.

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Goodwood already has a strict ID policy at its bars. The “four-pint rule”, where visitors cannot buy more than four pints on each trip to the bar, will be introduced and free water “hydration stations” will be available on every bar.

“We have concluded that we will make our security teams more visible,” added Mr Eade.

“We have changed some personnel and the composition of our rapid response teams as well as taking even stronger measures to discourage drug use and excessive alcohol consumption.

“Sussex Police have agreed to have a presence at each of our future fixtures and we continue to work with them on deploying other covert and overt methods of deterring anti-social behaviour and drug use.

“We are also still helping them with their enquiries following the incident on 5 May.”

• Do you think these security changes will resolve the issues around anti-social behaviour at Goodwood? Let us know your thoughts by emailing hhletters@timeinc.com and your views may be published in the letters page in Horse & Hound magazine

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This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses

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This week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (11 January 2017) is dedicated to nostalgia: those great idols of yesteryear — both human and equine — as well as those shows that no longer exist, but hold a special place in our memories.

Here Pippa Cuckson looks back at the appeal of dressage at the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex…

When the 10th Duke and Duchess of Richmond handed the Goodwood Estate to their motorsport-orientated son in 1993, he soon dug up the equestrian surfaces in front of the historic Goodwood house — a seminal moment for UK dressage.

Goodwood had staged the 1978 World Championships — where Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Dutch Courage won individual bronze — and the 1980 “alternative Olympics”, following the political boycott of Moscow.

“It was our shop window — nothing has attracted the very top Europeans here in quite the same numbers since,” says Jennie. “The foreigners loved Goodwood’s ‘oldie-worldy’ Britishness. There was the backdrop, the generous hospitality, and everyone loved the stables, a beautiful stone courtyard where you could see everyone — we certainly used to talk to each other more.”

Security was minimal. “We were allowed to ride off-piste” says Jennie. “‘Bill’ was a bit wild on the first day of the worlds, so I took him up to the racecourse gallops to let off steam. Next day, he was eighth in the grand prix, then third in the special!”

Continued below…

The amazing moment 14.2hh Stroller won the Hickstead Derby

We rewind the clock 52 years to 1967 when the pint-sized Stroller clinched the Hickstead Derby title...

The South Downs are notorious for sudden weather fronts. Granat, Christine Stückelberger’s world and Olympic champion, once bolted back to Goodwood stables after a battering from giant hailstones.

“I didn’t see it as I was sheltering under a tree with my daughter Anne,” says Jennie. “But we could all hear Christine’s screams!”

For more memories from the shows of yesteryear — including eventing at Wylye and showjumping at Arena North — don’t miss this week’s “nostalgia special” of Horse & Hound magazine (11 January 2017), where we also take a look back at the celebrity status of the likes of Lucinda Green, and remember why Stroller was such a hero

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Enjoyed the Qatar Goodwood Festival this week? Here's our pick of properties within easy reach of the West Sussex racecourse

1. Woodmans, West Sussex

Distance to Goodwood racecourse: 20 minutes by car.

For you: a three-bedroom 1920s house built at the foot of the South Downs. Outside there are formal gardens with a chalet ideal for conversion to ancillary accommodation subject to planning, a detached log cabin, detached office building, barn and garage/workshop.

For the horses: five stables, a tack room, hay store and tractor shed. A 20x40m sand school and direct access to a bridleway leading onto the South Downs. Set in 14 acres. £1.395m GL Property,

What’s the damage? £1.395m

Agent: GL Property

Telephone: 01903 742354

Visit:glproperty.co.uk

2. Howick Farm, West Sussex

Distance to Goodwood racecourse: 30 minutes by car.

For you: a three-bedroom farmhouse in spectacular countryside with a one-bedroom annexe, as well as an unconverted Sussex Barn incorporating a workshop, store room and gardener’s loo. Outside there are four stocked ponds and

a swimming pool.

For the horses: three stables, a feed room, tack room and an indoor arena. Set in a total of 96.47 acres, including woodland and pasture.

What’s the damage? £POA

Agent: Jackson-Stops & Staff

Telephone: 01730 812357

Visit: Jackson-stops.co.uk

3. Lakers House, West Sussex

Distance to Goodwood racecourse: 30 minutes by car.

For you: a five-bedroom detached house built in the style of a Spanish villa in the village of West Chiltington. The property featues two balconies, a games room, wine cellar, conservatory and a swimming pool. There is garaging for eight cars with two rooms and a shower

room above.

For the horses: three stables, a tack room and a store, as well as an all-weather arena. Set in 3.5 acres.

What’s the damage? £1.5m

Agent: Hamptons

Telephone: 01403 211766

Visit: hamptons.co.uk

Continued below…

The heavenly equestrian properties with rivers running through the garden

Set up camp in one of these equestrian

4. Bobbolds Farm, Hampshire/West Sussex

Distance to Goodwood racecourse: 30 minutes by car. For you: a Grade II-listed, six-bed farmhouse with a one-bed former dairy cottage, granary flat, party barn, cinema room, tennis court, pool and river frontage.

For the horses: a yard with five loose boxes and a tack room, a floodlit arena, a six-bay Dutch barn, horsewalker and further stabling. Set in 24 acres.

What’s the damage? £6m

Agent: Knight Frank

Telephone: 020 78615115

Visit: knightfrank.co.uk

Next week: Equestrian properties with excellent hacking

Ref: Horse & Hound; 3 August 2017

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning owner Dido Harding enjoyed victory from a different angle today (3 August) as she took top honours in Goodwood’s Magnolia Cup.

Dido has finished runner-up in the charity race for the previous two years and has ridden in all bar one of the seven races. However her persistence paid off as she piloted the Scott Dixon-trained Ducks And Dumplings to a decisive win in this year’s race.

In second by five lengths was racing broadcaster Aly Vance on The Winning Lines, with hat designer Emily Baxendale on Gideon Up in third.

“I’ve been saying I had to keep doing it until I won, but retiring now would be very hard — we’ll have to see,” said Dido, whose daughters Emma and Becca were there to watch.

“The horse I rode is a miler and likes soft ground, and it’s quite soft out there so he gave me a great feel from start to finish. I can dream of coming back.”

Dido, who was chief executive of Talk Talk until May this year, admitted afterwards she has only been on a horse about “two or three times” in the past six weeks.

The former amateur jockey finished runner-up in the 1996 Foxhunter chase at the Cheltenham Festival with Cool Dawn. Two years later the gelding won the Gold Cup at the festival under Andrew Thornton.

“There is nothing like the adrenalin of riding them yourself, and I’ve often wondered what it would have been like had I kept the ride on the old horse [in the Gold Cup],” she added.

“It was a complete fairytale to win at Cheltenham and I wouldn’t give it up, but if I only had one day left my wish would be to race-ride again.

“We might go to the pub later for a little celebration, nothing more exciting than that.”

Last year’s winner, four-star eventer Izzy Taylor, finished 10th.

“Sadly, we couldn’t finish first this year, Cape Of Storms really didn’t like the ground,” said Izzy. “But it was a great race and hopefully we have raised loads of money.”

Article continues below…

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Olympic sailing gold medallist Sarah Ayton is hooked on horses after her ride.

Sarah faced her fear of riding to take up the sport in December and finished seventh aboard the Amanda Perrett-trained Stable Returns.

“I loved the ride. It is quite hard work. You can’t really train for it other than actually doing it,” she said.

“I tried to think about the start — though I didn’t really get the best start.

“I will go back to the drawing board, look at the start, analyse it, and start better next time.

“I am planning to continue riding, I am loving race riding.”

The Magnolia Cup, which first ran in 2011, is for inspirational women from a variety of backgrounds and industries, some with little or no experience of racing.

Bespoke silks are designed especially for the occasion and money raised goes to charity, this year Place2Be, which provides emotional and therapeutic services in primary and secondary schools.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Event rider Izzy Taylor won the Magnolia Cup at the Goodwood Festival this afternoon in a close fought race.

The charity race was the first time she had met her mount Alketios, a five-year-old trained by Chris Gordon.

The pair came home narrowly in front of the Scott Dixon-trained Armelle, ridden by TalkTalk chief executive Dido Harding, and the Jim Boyle-trained Continuum ridden by Emily Baxendale.

“That was great,” said Ms Taylor, who rode in silks designed by Jasmine Guinness in front of the ladies’ day crowd.

“It’s something I’ve never experienced before – to be in this situation with a chance of winning, and then actually winning, is amazing.”

She said Alketios “travelled really well for me”.

“Dido was upside me so I thought I must be in the right place,” said Miss Taylor.

Ms Harding was filling the runner-up position for the second year in a row.

“It was brilliant to ride in the race again. I would have loved it even more if we had won, but it was a huge thrill,” she said.

Trainer Jim Boyle was delighted with Emily Baxendale’s ride aboard third-placed Continuum (real name Perfect Pastime).

The founder of Emily-London milliners has, like many of the dozen ladies who took part, spent long hours training.

“She rides Perfect Pastime every day when she’s here and he’s become her adopted horse. They get on so well together,” said Mr Boyle.

Related articles:

• Injury forces change to British eventing team for Rio Olympics
• Glorious Goodwood in pictures
• What is life like as a racing TV presenter?

Over the last five years the Magnolia Cup has raised over £1m for female-focused charities.

This year Britain’s most successful female jockey Hayley Turner helped the jockeys in her role as ambassador for the Magnolia Cup.

The win for Izzy Taylor came the day before she would have been setting off for Rio, had her ride Allercombe Ellie not been withdrawn as she incurred a slight injury in training

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Sussex Police are appealing for information after £700,000 of family heirlooms were stolen from Goodwood House last week (13 January).

The intruder broke into the house at 4.30am after scaling a ladder to an upstairs window.

The man was disturbed by Lady March who had gone to investigate his activities.

The intruder pushed her and struck Lord March, 61, on the head before forcing Lady March to open the safe.

The burglar bound and gagged the couple before escaping with more than 40 items including emerald, diamond and sapphire rings, earrings, bracelets and antique Rolex and Girard Perregaux watches.

Among the most treasured items stolen were a £400,000 diamond tiara, an antique diamond necklace worth £200,000 and an emerald intaglio and diamond ring given by Charles II to his mistress Louise de Keroualle.

A member of staff called the police at 6.30am when he arrived at work.

“This was a frightening ordeal and I pay tribute to the courage of Lord and Lady March,” said detective inspector Till Sanderson. “They are devastated at the loss of these treasured items, many of which are irreplaceable.”

A nationwide appeal has been launched to trace the stolen jewellery and forensic teams are working with detectives to investigate the circumstances of the theft.

“We are doing all we can to try and trace the stolen treasures, liaising with auction houses, stately homes, dealers and those with specialist knowledge,” said Inspector Sanderson.

A 26-year-old man from Hampshire has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and has been bailed until February while investigations continue.

The Goodwood Estate is home to the Glorious Goodwood race meeting. The 2016 racing season opens on 30 April. The seven-race card meeting has an artisan food festival running alongside.

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Eventer Izzy Taylor will be among those lining up at Goodwood in this year’s renewal of the Magnolia Cup.

The all-female line-up for the six furlong charity race which takes place on Ladies Day (Thursday, 30 July), will be raising money for the charity Amref Health Africa, Africa’s leading health development organisation.

Currently ranked ninth in the British Eventing listings points league, Izzy has also been selected as a member of Team GBR’s eventing squad for the forthcoming Blair Castle 2015 European Championships. This will be her first competitive ride on a racecourse.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity and I am really looking forward to a new challenge,” Izzy told H&H. “I’ve always been fascinated by the speed of the thoroughbred so can’t wait to get out on the course to experience it, while also raising money for a good cause.”

Izzy — who recently rode out at Eve Johnson Houghton’s yard near Blewbury, Oxon in preparation for the race — will be up against some tough competition. Her rivals will include Jemima Hannon, whose father in law and husband have previously dominated the Glorious meeting.

“Goodwood has always been good to us, so we hope for a bit more luck in the Magnolia Cup on Thursday,” said Jemima’s husband, trainer Richard Hannon Jnr. “Jemima has put in a lot of hard work training and raising money and we are all looking forward to it.”

The rest of the field includes a selection of influential women in UK business and fashion. These include TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding, Shadi Halliwell who is the head of marketing at Harvey Nichols, and milliner Emily Baxendale, who has created a Goodwood collection as the preferred milliner for Goodwood this year.

In addition to the jockeys, a collection of some of the most celebrated and prestigious female fashion designers — including Viviene Westwood and Bella Freud — have dedicated their time and skills to creating bespoke silks for each of the riders.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Occasionally I am asked which racecourse I would choose to take someone who had never been racing before. My answer will always be Goodwood. The place has a fantastic atmosphere, is well laid out, and has views that are without equal.

It is said that you cannot see another house from the grandstand, and invariably the racing is of good quality, even on an ordinary weekday. It is a place that combines tradition with a relaxed attitude to its many customers and is very well patronised as a result.

All of which makes its decision to drop the 170-year-old race title, the Stewards Cup, in favour of a one-year deal with sponsors 32Red.com all the more bizarre. This decision raised precisely £5,000 in prize-money and managed to enrage so many factions that the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has moved to ensure that no such thing ever happens again to any of the historic race titles, handicaps or otherwise.

What I find so extraordinary is that neither Goodwood nor 32Red.com thought anything of it, and carried on regardless.

Having said that, nothing courses do these days surprises me. The reality is that despite seeing themselves as such, they aren’t actually stakeholders in the way that football clubs are to football.

They are venues, pure and simple; they provide a field for the owner to run the “product” (horses) around, with facilities attached. The punter provides prize-money through the Levy that is taken from the bookmakers and racecourses top it up with just over a third of what they receive in media rights.

One might ask if they aren’t stakeholders, how did the tracks get hold of all the media rights money? The answer is that for 200 years racecourses were kept out of the way racing was run and financed and the sport was better off for it.

However 10 years ago, thanks to the major bookmakers calling in the Office of Fair Trading to investigate a deal BHA chairman Peter Savill had put together to replace the Levy, the unforeseen consequence was that racecourses were given more autonomy. At the same time they went behind the BHA’s back and did a deal with the bookmakers over media rights.

The combined result means the sport has been paying for it ever since. Our prize-money is still a bad joke and will remain so for a while yet, partly because of the power the racecourses hold.

Strong sales figures

It is only as a result of having the best bloodstock in the world, because of the investment and foresight of breeding operations such as Coolmore and Darley to produce the best stallions, that we have the strongest of all resale markets.

This holds the whole sport together. Last month’s Tattersalls July Sale is a case in point. Anything in the sale rated around or above an ordinary mark of 70 made upwards of £15,000.

It was without doubt the strongest horses in training sale I have ever attended. Horses that could have been bought out of selling and claiming races for £6,000 during the previous month were making twice as much and more to go to race in the Middle East.

Anything that is owned by the smaller owner and performs at a higher level is subject to offers almost every week. If they are miler/sprinter colts and geldings, the Far East snaps them up. Stayers go jumping or to Australia (there have been none bred in Australasia recently) as Melbourne Cup hopefuls, and breeding stock goes worldwide.

All of which begs the question “what are you complaining about?”

Not much, is the answer — it’s a great business.

Ralph’s column was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (7 August, 2014)

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Stars were out in force at Glorious Goodwood yesterday (Thursday 31 July) for the Magnolia Cup charity race — with supermodel Edie Campbell narrowly denying eventer Tina Cook the spoils.

Edie, who won the inaugural race in 2011, received her prize from Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, who created quite the media frenzy in the paddock.

Edie won the 6f race aboard the Ian Williams-trained See The Storm, who had also won a ladies’ race at Ascot on Saturday (26 July).

“I was more nervous than ever this year, because you know it’s frightening and scary, and you put a lot of work in to get here,” said Edie, who added the horse could be quite strong.

“If there hadn’t been a rail at the end of the pull-up I would have been in the next county!”

Olympic medallist Tina Cook, who won a charity race in 2012 at Cheltenham, finished second on Better Balance.

“I absolutely loved it. He is a lovely horse and a real gentleman. He was fantastic going down to the start and we just kept picking them up through the race,” she said.

“We were never really going to catch Edie unfortunately, but it was a great thrill. It’s completely different to eventing and I had never ridden a Flat horse before over five or six furlongs, so it was a whole new experience.”

The race was in aid of The Reading Agency, which is dedicated to aiding reading and literacy skills, and Best Beginnings, which breaks down inequalities in child health.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Olympic eventer Tina Cook is among a field of high-profile ladies taking part in this year’s hot renewal of the Magnolia Cup at Glorious Goodwood.

The celebrity line-up for the charity race, which takes place on Ladies’ Day (Thursday 31 July), also includes top fashion model Edie Campbell, a previous winner and Goodwood Ladies’ Day ambassador.

“I’m very excited to take on the role of leading lady. I can’t wait to get back into full jockey mode,” said Edie.

But Edie faces some tough opposition, including from Tricia Simonon, model and ex-manager of The Clash, and jeweller Philippa Holland — who has won the race the past two years.

There will also be some new faces this year. Clare Salmon, director of Royal London Group rides in the race for the first time, and Tina Cook is also making her debut.

However, the eventer is no stranger to racing — her father Josh was a trainer, as is her brother Nick. She also won a charity race at Cheltenham in 2012 and will be aiming for victory again.

The celebrity jockeys will sport silks created by top fashion designers including Vivienne Westwood, Sarah Burton, Jasmine Guinness, Bella Freud and Beulah.

Proceeds will go to two charities — the Reading Agency, which is dedicated to helping people improve their life chances through becoming confident readers and Best Beginnings, a charity that addresses child heath inequalities in the UK.

Glorious Goodwood starts tomorrow (29 July) and runs until Saturday (2 August).

Highlights include the Group One QIPCO Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, which looks set to be a hot contest between ” href=”https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/royal-ascot-pictures-hhs-highlights-final-2-days-gallery/” target=”_blank”>Royal Ascot winners Toronado (trained by Richard Hannon) and Kingman (John Gosden).

For more information visit: www.goodwood.co.uk or tel: 01243 755055

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Full report from Glorious Goodwood in Horse & Hound magazine (8 August, 2013)

Enjoyed this picture gallery? View Royal Ascot photos

Here are some more picture collections from H&H:

QIPCO British Champions Day: in pictures

A crowd of over 24,000 gathered at Ascot racecourse on Saturday (19 October 2013) to watch top Flat horses in action at QIPCO British Champions Day.

Top riders from the world of eventing — including Emily King, Harry Meade, Laura Collett and Oliver Townend — enjoyed a day out alongside Paralympic gold medallist Natasha Baker.

Alongside top racing there was plenty to do for horse lovers — including a “jockey school” for budding young riders and pony rides.

And fans of Sir Henry Cecil remembered the great trainer at a special exhibition.

In pictures: youngsters by Chilli Morning, European eventing bronze medallist

To celebrate the stallion Chilli Morning winning an individual bronze medal for William Fox-Pitt at the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships in Malmö, we bring you a gallery of his offspring, sent in by our readers.

Paras in pictures: highlights from the European Championships

As we released a bumper issue packed full of reports from the ECCO European Championships in Herning, Denmark, we published some extra pictures of the para dressage action which we didn’t have room to include in the magazine. We hope you enjoy them…

In pictures: FEI European dressage championships in Denmark

Pictures of the dressage action from the ECCO European Championships in Herning, Denmark.

Royal International Horse Show in pictures

Enjoy highlights of the Longines Royal International Horse Show 2013 through the eyes of our on-site photographers and H&H readers.

Andrew Nicholson at home: in pictures

Following his four four-star wins in less than a year, Horse & Hound visited New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson at his Wiltshire home to discuss his top horses, how he stays motivated and how he found a new edge.

Enjoy some photos from the shoot, plus some pictures of Andrew in competition.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The jockeys in Glorious Goodwood’s charity Ladies Race this afternoon (Thursday 1 August) will wear bespoke silks designed by fashion names including Vivienne Westwood, Jasmine Guinness and Mulberry.

The 8 ladies will be battling it out for the Magnolia Cup in aid of 2 charities — The Haven, a support centre for those with breast cancer and Best Beginnings, a charity dedicated to ending child health inequalities in the UK.

Here are some of the 8 silk designs:

Tricia Simonon will wear a silk designed by Vivienne Westwood

Dido Harding will wear a silk designed by Frost French

Gina Bryce will wear a silk designed by Tabitha Webb

Phillipa Holland will wear a silk designed by Katie Grand

Alexis Green will wear a silk designed by Beulah

Krissi Murison will wear a silk designed by Jasmine Guinness

Francesca Cumani will also wear a silk designed by Jasmine Guinness and Maggie Buggie will wear a silk designed by Mulberry.

Who will your money be on?

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Event rider Laura Collett is off to Goodwood races this afternoon (Wednesday 31 July) — and will be taking over the H&H Twitter account.

“I’m excited about getting out and about, and having a day at the races,” Laura told H&H.

This will be Laura’s first outing since her rotational fall at Tweseldown earlier this month (8 July) that left her in intensive care.

Laura sustained lung damage and fractured ribs in the fall from Tis A Beauty. She has since been recovering at Oaksey House, the Injured Jockeys Fund’s rehabilitation centre in Lambourn, Berks.

“I’m really looking forward to today,” she said. “I’ve only been to one big Flat meeting before — Royal Ascot a few years ago — and this is my first time at Goodwood.”

This afternoon she’ll also watch the ‘Duel on the Downs’ where Dawn Approach and Toronado will go head-to-head in the Group One QIPCO Sussex Stakes at 3.05pm.

“It will be great to witness that race,” she added. “I think Dawn Approach will win.”

Goodwood is also known for its fashionable racegoers — and Laura has a new outfit for the day. “It was a good excuse to go shopping!” she said.

Laura will be attending Goodwood as a guest of British Champions Series.

“We’re delighted Laura is fit and well to attend Glorious Goodwood, and witness the Duel on the Downs II taking place between Dawn Approach and Toronado in QIPCO Sussex Stakes. We wish her a great day out experiencing some of the world’s finest Flat racing,” said Sara Leach of British Champions Series.

Laura will be tweeting with the hashtag #CollettGoesRacing from 12pm-4pm.

To follow Laura’s day out at Goodwood, follow @horseandhound on Twitter, or see her tweets below.

Tweets about “#CollettGoesRacing”

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A field of high-profile ladies has been announced for the third renewal of Glorious Goodwood’s charity race, the Magnolia Cup (1 August).

Jewellery designer Philippa Holland will bid to defend last year’s win in the Ladies Day race, in which jockeys wear bespoke silks created by top fashion designers.

“It’s a lot of fun, but definitely competitive,” said Philippa, who hunts side saddle with the Quorn and Cattistock. “I’ll be riding one of Tom Dascombe’s horses, where I’m riding out a lot to get my muscles used to riding short.”

But the opposition is fierce. Supermodel and polo player Jodie Kidd, Channel 4 Racing’s Gina Bryce and Emma Spencer, tennis wife and amateur event rider Lucy Henman will line up, as well as Tricia Simonon, Sunday Times Magazine columnist Krissi Murison and businesswomen Maggie Buggie and Dido Harding.

The celebrity jockeys will sport silks created by designers including Vivienne Westwood, Sarah Burton and Bella Freud.

Proceeds go to breast cancer charity The Haven and Best Beginnings, which works to help end child health inequality in the UK.

“The money raised will go towards setting up a new breast cancer support centre in Wessex,” said The Haven’s chief executive Pamela Healy. MT

Tickets from £15-£37. To book, visit: www.goodwood.co.uk or tel: 01243 755055

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (11 July, 2013)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Goodwood racecourse has an exclusive ticket offer for H&H readers for this weekend’s May Festival (23-25 May).

With seven races each day and more than £350,000 prize-money up for grabs, this is a fantastic chance to see some of the country’s top Flat racehorses in action.

Simply show this web page, either on your phone or as a print out, to the Goodwood ticket office on any day of the meeting, purchase a Gordon enclosure ticket (£18; £23 on the Saturday) and receive a complimentary upgrade to the course’s premier enclosure, the Richmond.

Please note that jeans and shorts are not permitted in the Richmond enclosure and gentlemen are requested to wear a jacket.

Visit www.goodwood.co.uk/horse-racing

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Celebrities will line up in designer racing silks tomorrow, when they take part in a charity race at Glorious Goodwood (2 August).

Kate Moss, Sadie Frost, Vivienne Westwood, Pearl Lowe, Amanda Wakeley, Jasmine Guinness and Stella McCartney have all had a hand in designing silks for the women-only Magnolia race.

“As a kid I loved going to the races and a great part of the excitement is the colours. It is a designer’s dream,” said Jasmine.

Also donning designer silks will be Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox, who has been training at John Hills’ Lambourn yard.

“It’s going really well,” said Sara. “I leave [home] at 5am, but ironically I’m much better at getting up now than I was in my Breakfast Show days.

“The lads at the yard are the best – there’s good banter. But once we get up to the gallops, it’s serious stuff. They’ve given me loads of confidence and are so encouraging.”

Sara, who also took part in the TV programme Only Fools On Horses, in which Tim Stockdale taught celebrities to showjump, came ninth in last year’s race. “I’ve done showjumping and racing, I’d love to try polo next,” she added.

Model Rosemary Ferguson, jeweller Philippa Holland and Channel 4 Racing’s Emma Spencer will also be riding. The race is in aid of Spinal Research and children’s charity Winston’s Wish.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (26 July 2012)

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Racing fans are gearing up for what’s being billed as the race of the century.

The Group One Sussex Stakes — aka the “Duel on the Downs” — will be staged at Goodwood at 3.10pm today (27 July) when the world’s top two-milers, Frankel (pictured) and Canford Cliffs, will do battle. Hype surrounding the race has boosted ticket sales by 20%.

Frankel, trained by Sir Henry Cecil, is the world’s top-rated three-year-old and remains unbeaten after seven starts.

Canford Cliffs, a year older and winner of five Group Ones, took this race last year.

Visit: www.goodwood.co.uk/horse-racing

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (21 July, 2011)

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Move over Mr Dettori, the girls are taking over at Glorious Goodwood later this month.

The West Sussex venue is staging a six-furlong charity race with a difference on Ladies’ Day (28 July) — all the participants, including horses, silk designers and trainers will be female.

And the fund-raiser for Great Ormond Street Hospital has attracted high-profile names.

Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox is taking part alongside Tatler editor Kate Reardon, model Edie Campbell, Channel 4 presenter Emma Spencer, Francesca Cumani — daughter of trainer Luca — and world number two dressage rider Laura Bechtolsheimer.

“I know absolutely nothing about racing, so I’m going to have to do a lot of homework,” laughed Laura. “When I told my dad, he said to make sure that I had the fastest horse!”

Kate — a regular follower of the Portman, and ardent H&H reader — has been riding out for Ralph Beckett. But certain aspects of her preparation are distinctly Tatler-ish.

“I’ve been working with a personal trainer and went to a Spanish fat farm to try to make the weight,” explained Kate, who is a svelte but towering 5ft 8in. “The horses’ eyes widen in horror as I lumber over.”

Meanwhile Sara Cox, who starred in TV’s Only Fools On Horses in 2006, is riding out at Walter Swinburn’s.

After her first spin on the gallops she tweeted: “Can’t stop smiling, best morning ever. I’m well chuffed!”

Liz Hurley will be part of the behind-the-scenes team and the silks will be designed by one of the Duchess Cambridge’s favourite labels, Issa.

Glorious Goodwood runs from 26-30 July.

Visit www.goodwood.co.uk/horse-racing or tel: 01243 755055.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (14 July, 2011)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Glorious Goodwood is one of the highlights of the British sporting summer, featuring five days of top class horseracing and set in the most chic, relaxed and incredibly stylish atmosphere on top of the picturesque Sussex Downs.

There are racing highlights every day including the Sussex Stakes, the Goodwood Cup and the Nassau Stakes.

Goodwood racecourse is offering Horse & Hound readers the chance to buy two tickets for the price of one for any day of this year’s festival, which takes place from Tuesday 26 July to Saturday 30 July.

This ticket offer applies to the Gordon Enclosure, tickets cost £37, and you can purchase as many as you like for any of the five days.

To take advantage of this special offer call Goodwood Ticket Sales on 01243 755055 or email ticket.office@goodwood.com quoting reference HORSE2011. This offer expires at 12noon on Monday 25 July.

For further information visit www.goodwood.com

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Don’t miss the opportunity to see some rare equestrian paintings in an exhibition at Goodwood this summer.

The paintings, from Goodwood’s private collection, include the work of George Stubbs, who spent nine months painting at the West Sussex estate in 1759, and John Wootten’s images of hunters.

The exhibition runs from 1 August-30 September at Goodwood House.

Tickets cost £9.50, including a tour of the house’s stables, but concessions are available.

Tel: 01243 755022.

The exhibition comes hot on the heels of one of the highlights of the Goodwood calendar — the Glorious meeting (26-30 July). Tickets start at £15. Visit www.goodwood.co.uk or tel 01243 755022

This news stort was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (9 June, 2011)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Actress Liz Hurley, cricketer Shane Warne and former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio were just a few of the famous faces present on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood, Sporting Greats Day yesterday (Tuesday 27 July).

Also enjoying the sunshine were 200 British servicemen, who enjoyed a free day at the races courtesy of the charities Tickets for Troops and the Dallaglio Foundation.

Lawrence, who is an avid racing fan and currently owns shares in two horses with Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, was ambassador for the day.

“Through the Dallaglio Foundation we aim to support very specific, tangible projects which make a real and personal difference to people’s lives. Tickets for Troops is one such cause and Sporting Greats Day provides a great platform to generate awareness and raise some funds for the charity,” he said.

Chairman of Goodwood, Lord March, added: “Goodwood will be supporting Tickets for Troops throughout the year but Sporting Greats Day was a great opportunity to showcase the charity’s work. Both Goodwood and the Dallaglio Foundation individually identified Tickets for Troops as being a great cause to champion.”

Also at Goodwood yesterday Lawrence and two–time Olympic gold-medal-winning sailor Sarah Gosling (nee Webb) helped get the London 2012 Seat Tour underway — which aims encourage even sports fans to start planning for the Games.

The tour, in which four seats will be taken around the country visiting events including the Notting Hill Carnival and The Brit Awards, began yesterday at the racecourse.

After completing their tour the seats will be built into the Olympic Arena for the opening ceremony in two years time.

“With just two years to go until London 2012 it’s vital that people start registering their interest for tickets,” said Lawrence.

“I’ve been lucky enough to represent my country in front of a passionate home crowd on numerous occasions and that support can make the crucial difference to your performance. Every Team GB athlete will benefit from British fans cheering them on.”

Approximately eight million tickets will be available for the Olympic Games, with another two million for the Paralympic Games, and since the ticketing registration process launched in March more than 1.5 million people have signed up at www.tickets.london2012.com.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A 30ft high sculpture of a horse’s head has been installed on the Goodwood Estate in time for this year’s Glorious Goodwood race meeting.

“Artemis”, a bronze horse head by sculptor Nic FIddian-Green, was positioned on the South Downs last week (Tuesday, 29 June).

The sculpture, which weighs four tonnes was driven up a steep track before being reversed into place by a 60ft flatbed truck.

It will be moved to the members’ lawn at Goodwood racecourse to celebrate the start of Glorious Goodwood (27-31 July), and then to the front of the estate house for the inaugural Vintage at Goodwood Festival in August.

Nic Fiddian-Green, who also produced two equine pieces for Royal Ascot last month, started work on the sculpture last autumn.

“My primary aim is to place beautiful works of art into the landscape and I can think of nowhere more powerful for my Greek horse’s head ‘Artemis’ than on the ancient site of the trundle at Goodwood, overlooking the steeple of Chichester Cathedral to the sea and across to the Isle of Wight,” he said.

“Back in the 1980s during a visit to the Elgin Marbles at London’s British Museum whilst an art student, I first saw the horse of Selene which sparked a lifelong passion for the horse’s head. In my work I try to emulate the skill, vitality, balance and beauty of the classical art that inspired me all those years ago.”

For more information visit: www.goodwood.co.uk

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Channel 4 racing presenter Alice Plunkett, trainer and 1988 Grand National winner Brendan Powell, international dressage riders Andrew Gould and Daniel Timpson and H&H news editor Abigail Butcher lined up last Thursday in a charity race for Spinal Research at Goodwood.

In a close finish, Alice riding the John Dunlop trained Balnagore and Brendan aboard Kerriemuir Lass owned by JP McManus, forged ahead in the final furlong to take first and second respectively. Abigail, aboard Hawkstar Express trained by James Boyle and owned by Inside Track Racing Club, finished third.

“I haven’t ridden in a race for years — it’s going to hurt tomorrow, but what a buzz,” said former point-to-point jockey Alice afterwards. “I was wearing Mick Fitzgerald’s boots and Rilly Goschen’s breeches on, so I had all the right kit!”

She added: “It was brilliant fun, my biggest fear was getting a leg-up and then making it to the post in one piece, but I managed. I was very lucky because I was riding a Ferrari in a go-cart race, thanks to the generosity of Mr Dunlop.”

Also taking part in the charity race, run over 1 mile 3 furlongs, was polo player Richard Buckfield and charity race veteran Leon Nurse.

Double bronze Olympic medallist Tina Cook was due to ride until her horse went lame the weekend before. Instead, the event rider started the race.

“It was a real honour to be asked to take part in the race — it’s the chance of a lifetime to race around Goodwood,” said Abi, who tried to gain an advantage by training solidly for two weeks beforehand, riding out for Epsom-based James Boyle and Newmarket trainer John Berry.

Some others, however, hadn’t done quite as much preparation.

“I had a quick canter at Jim Boyle’s and one ride on my horse, Morestead, beforehand,” said Andrew Gould, who was taking advice from Abi while walking the course on how to bridge his reins.

Third place from seven was a slight improvement on Abi’s last race, when she finished fifth of 11 at Plumpton on Easter Monday 2006.

“I just wish I hadn’t had my stirrups so short this time — I borrowed a jockey’s saddle and the leathers wouldn’t go any longer, so I completely ran out of steam in the last furlong and couldn’t push my horse on any more!”

She added: “It’s very kind of Jim Boyle and the owners of Hawkstar Express to let me have the ride.”

The Goodwood celebrity charity race raised about £25,000 for Spinal Research, Racing Welfare and local Sussex charity Boxgrove Priory.

Alice added: “Spinal Research is very much close to our hearts and a charity our industry should support.”

To make a donation, visit www.spinal-research.org

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Glorious Goodwood certainly lived up to its name today for connections of Henrythenavigator.

A win by a head in the BGC Sussex Stakes provided the 3-year-old with his 4th consecutive Group One win. This marked trainer Aidan O’Brien’s 16th Group One victory this year.

Henrythenavigator held off strong competition from his old rival John Gosden’s Raven’s Pass, ridden by Jimmy Fortune, winning by just a head.

Major Cadeaux, ridden by Richard Hughes and trained by Richard Hannon was just three quarters of a length behind in third.

Goodwood treble for Murtagh

Winning jockey Johnny Murtagh celebrated the win as part of a Goodwood second-day treble. He also won on Baddam in the 2.15pm Goodwood Stakes and Love Galore in the 4.05pm Heritage Handicap.

“The good horses have everything…when he hit the finish line he was still full of running,” Johnny told Channel 4 Racing

At 4-11 favourite Henrythenavigator was the shortest-priced horse in the race’s history.

Henrythenavigator now looks set for a rest before returning to action in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in September. He has previously won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot this year.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now