Camacho and Sexton celebrate doubles at Goodwood’s penultimate 2025 fixture

The afternoon’s racing saw a wide array of results, from well-backed favourites to huge double-figure odds coming good. Read on for a full report of the Goodwood card, courtesy of Sporting Life.

The afternoon’s first race was a mile and a quarter conditions race (1.50), populated by only three runners. We had a clear favourite in Andrew Balding’s Royal Playwright (4/6), although as the race got closer, second favourite Mister Rizz’s price was shortening up to challenge.

This is representative of how the race panned out; Mister Rizz gave Royal Playwright plenty to think about on the home straight, duelling him home, but wasn’t quite able to get past him. The favourite won by over a length.

Race two was a valuable two-year-olds’ maiden (2.25) over the same mile and a quarter. Winning market leaders remained a theme here, as the Ralph Beckett-trained Bay Of Brilliance - the hot favourite at 10/11 with no real market rival, the next closest being priced at 4/1 - took the lead within the final two furlongs and kept on to win tidily by three quarters of a length.

The theme continued for race three, a mile handicap (3.00), for which we had three combined favourites; Cerulean Bay, Alpha Crucis and Rhoscolyn, all at 4/1 in what was a very open race.

On the home straight, there were numerous runners with a real chance, but those who kept on best were two of the market leaders, Cerulean Bay and Alpha Crucis, along with Epictetus and Galeron, all of whom were beginning to separate away from the rest. Despite an impressive turn of foot from the closing-in Alpha Crucis, Cerulean Bay held him off by a length and a quarter.

Next was one of the feature races; the Listed Foundation Stakes, run over a mile and a quarter (3.35).

The Roger Varian-trained Saddadd was the 11/8 favourite and ran a commendable race, but just couldn’t quite finish strongly enough to overtake the leader, 33/1 shot Naqeeb, who did enough to win by a neck for Julie Camacho and Ryan Sexton. Godolphin’s Ancient Wisdom chased him home, beaten a neck.

Following was the £100,000 2YO Fillies’ Series Final over seven furlongs (4.10). We were back to winning favourites again here; joint market leader Timeforshowcasing, trained by another Yorkshire-based trainer in Charlie Johnston, took the lead in the final furlong under James Doyle, beating the likely-looking winner Wetsand and challenging Mystic Moment smartly. He crossed the line over a length ahead of the rest, justifying his joint favouritism.

Second to last was a fillies’ handicap over a mile and three quarters (4.45). We had another clear favourite here in Finalise (6/4), trained by Willie Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, but the Cheveley Park-owned filly was bettered by 16/1 shot Dancingwithmyself, despite going well in her own right. The winner was ridden by Billy Loughnane and trained by Michael Bell.

Racing concluded with a six-furlong handicap (5.20). Here. we saw the second leg of Julie Camacho and Ryan Sexton’s double come in, courtesy of 15/2 shot Noble Consort, who stayed on in commendable style on the wing, wearing a visor, to win by a neck, with Silver Wraith the runner-up at the same price under Oisin Murphy. They were chased home by Forever My Prince at 10/1.

Goodwood winners - Wednesday:

1.50 - Royal Playwright (4/6F)

2.25 - Bay Of Brilliance (10/11F)

3.00 - Cerulean Bay (4/1C)

3.35 - Naqeeb (33/1)

4.10 - Timeforshowcasing (4/1J)

4.45 - Dancingwithmyself (16/1)

5.20 - Noble Consort (15/2)