Goodwood May Festival is hot stuff - and Boiling Point takes the feature
Goodwood’s May Festival got off to a flying start – and the weather could not have been better for crowds who descended on the South Downs to watch.
Just three weeks after a freak deluge caused a Goodwood fixture to be abandoned early, conditions could not have been more different – with not a cloud in the sky and temperatures well into the 20s.
It was the first of two days of back-to-back racing featuring 14 contests, including three listed races – the Festival Stakes on Friday and the Cocked Hat Stakes and the Height of Fashion Stakes on Saturday.
Friday’s feature, the £70,000 Fitzdares Festival Stakes, was won by Irish horse Boiling Point, a photo finish needed to confirm the 11-2 victor – ridden by Shane Gray for trainer Karl Burke – by a short head.
Earlier the first race of the festival went to Night In Vegas, ridden by Charles Bishop for Eve Johnson Houghton, who was 1-2 favourite for the Soil Association 80th Anniversary Conditions Stakes and duly saw off his only two rivals.
Night In Vegas was tipped on sussexworld.co.uk in our festival preview.
Pershaada was the 7-1 winner of the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes for Sean Levey and trainer Richard Hannon, then Cieren Fallon guided Bahadur to victory at 5/2 in the two-mile Track Radio Handicap.
Fallon completed a quickfire double when coming home first on Orionis (7-2) for William Haggas in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Handicap.
Crimson Spirit claimed the Edward Bulmer Natural Paint Handicap after going off 4-1 favourite, with Ray Dawson on board for Daniel & Claire Kubler. And the 3-1 joint favourite Seven Questions won the last, the Sustainable Food Trust Handicap, for Jamie Spencer and Robert Cowell.
Goodwood racecourse director James Crespi said it had been a superb start to the festival – and Saturday looked like being just as good.
"When the weather is like this, there’s nowhere better to be than here on the South Downs watching the action. The racing has been great and I would think we’ve seen one or two horses that will be back here later in the season,” he said.
Officials are hopeful the two-day total crowd will be up on last year’s numbers – reflecting a positive start to the 2026 season when ticket sales have generally been brisk.
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Saturday selections
Day two of the May meeting treats racegoers to a further two Listed races, some high class handicaps and a smart novice race too.
Read on for a preview of and tips for the Goodwood card, courtesy of BetVictor Online Casino.
We start with a bang; a seven-furlong three-year-olds’ handicap (13.25). There are 18 runners going to post here, and Goodwood can be a tricky track to win at, particularly in a large field handicap. Topweight Pathein ran well here last time over a mile and shouldn’t have an issue with the step down in trip here.
The appropriately named Goodwood Galaxy also has good previous form here and is an attractive three pounds below his latest start, which was below his best. Reciprocated can handle some undulations and could be on a handy mark for the in-form Karl Burke.
Next is the first of our Listed races; the Cocked Hat Stakes for three-year-old colts and geldings, run over a mile and three furlongs (14.00). The John and Thady Gosden-trained Saxon Street seeks to maintain his unbeaten record here, after a smart win over 10-furlongs at Epsom in Listed company last month.
Chester didn’t agree with Del Maro last time and he wears first-time cheekpieces here. Golden Story is also better than his latest appearance, also at Chester. He looks a good each-way choice here on the softer ground.
Race three is a six-furlong juvenile fillies’ maiden(14.35). Eight of the nine runners are debutants, with the exception of Knock Three Times, who was a close second at Nottingham earlier this month, so it’s not going to be easy to pick a winner here. Coat Of Red was an expensive yearling purchase and is bred to do well here, so she might be worth a try if the market indicates as much.
The second of our Listed races is next; the 10-furlong Height Of Fashion Stakes for three-year-old fillies (15.10). David Menuisier’s Inor Mor is the top-rated, having been tried unsuccessfully in Classic company lately.
This will be more within reach. On Message seeks a hat-trick, having won at Wolverhampton and Epsom on the way here, but this is a step up. Brilliant Star is a higher class of filly, also seeking a hat-trick, as is the even classier Just Call Me Angel.
The fifth race is a 10-furlong fillies’ novice for three to five-year-olds (15.45). Marcus Tregoning’s St Hilda has shown plenty of promise on the all-weather, while Guesstimate is probably the best qualified of those with previous form to do well here, having gone well at Newmarket on debut last term. Evening Fades is an attractive newcomer too.
Second to last is a handicap run over a mile and three quarters (16.20). William Haggas’ Cheveley Park-owned Finalise brings some solid course form to the table here, having been second of 11 here last year, and she returns for the new season today. Happy on any going, she is attractive. Dancingwithmyself has the benefit of race fitness, and Too Soon should go well here also.
Last of all is a five-furlong three-year-olds’ handicap (16.55). Riley Rocks is our topweight, seeking a hat-trick for trainer Dylan Cunha, while Campanaerts could prove to be down to a nice mark here. Angel Numbers should be in with a chance, as could Wedonttelllies, who is in first-time cheekpieces.
Goodwood selections - Saturday:
13.25 - Goodwood Galaxy
14.00 - Golden Story
14.35 - Coat Of Red
15.10 - Brilliant Star
15.45 - Guesstimate
16.20 - Finalise
16.55 - Wedonttelllies