Goodwood’s 2022 season finishes with flourish

But after 19 fixtures and plenty of stunning racing, it’s over for another year.

Sunday brought the traditional laid-back country-style season finale in lovely autumn conditions.

See pictures by Malcolm Wells from the season finale in the slideshow – in the video player above

It was a fitting, upbeat end to a season of flat racing in which Goodwood crowds have been treated to some memorable contests, both at Glorious week and some of the lower-profile fixtures.

The final meeting of Goodwood’s year always brings a chance for jump jockeys to see how they fare without obstacles on the South Downs course in the Alderbrook Stakes.

And this time there was a popular win for Bryony Frost on 14/1 chance Zikany for West Sussex trainer Amanda Perrett.

And it was two jump horses, Tritonic and Goshen, that served up the clash of the day in the Inkerman London Handicap, with Hollie Doyle fending off her rival to win for the former, sent to post at 6/1 by Alan King.

One trainer who did not have a winning horse on Sunday but have a trophy at the end of the proceedings was Andrew Balding.

He is the 2022 win ner of the Dick Hern Trophy, the prize that goes to the racecourse’s top trainer of each season.

Balding, a long-time regular at Goodwood, has had a stellar year and clerk of the course Ed Arkell presented the trophy to Balding’s wife Anna Lisa.

Elsewhere on the card Mystery Fox was a 10/1 winner of the Goodwood Racehorse Owners' Group Handicap for jockey David Egan and trainer Roger Varian. Yacowlef, Spanish Star, Benacre and Rathgar were other lower-odds winners.

That’s it on the Downs now until next spring, but bosses can reflect on a fine year’s racing – perhaps symbolised by the success that Goodwood winners had at the Arc de Triomphe weekend at Longchamp last week.

Alpinista, winner of the Arc itself, Sea La Rosa, Kyprios, Platinum Queen, Lady Princess and Kinross all triumphed in France – suggesting that Goodwood winners remains ones to watch after they have won here.

The 2023 season again features 19 fixtures – including Three Friday Nights, the Qatar Festival and August meeting – and begins on May 5.

The Chichester Observer and sussexworld.co.uk would like to thank all at Goodwood Racecourse for their help with our coverage this season – and thanks also go to Malcolm Wells, Clive Bennett and Getty Images’ Alan Crowhurst for their excellent photos from the season.