One-eyed jockey's first win is just as special as Jim's 2,000th at Goodwood

One jockey’s 2,000th win took plenty of the Goodwood bank holiday headlines – but another’s first brought just as much reason to celebrate.
Jim Crowley takes the plaudits after his 2,000th win, achieved at Goodwood on Sunday / Picture: Alan Crowhurst, GettyJim Crowley takes the plaudits after his 2,000th win, achieved at Goodwood on Sunday / Picture: Alan Crowhurst, Getty
Jim Crowley takes the plaudits after his 2,000th win, achieved at Goodwood on Sunday / Picture: Alan Crowhurst, Getty

Just like Glorious week a month earlier, the August bank holiday festival ended with much of the talk being about Jim Crowley crossing the line first in blue and white.

At the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the Pulborough rider’s win on Battaash for a fourth straight King George Stakes victory took the headlines, but on Sunday it was Crowley’s 2000th winner that was being celebrated.

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As his milestone had neared, Crowley had spoken of his wish he could reach it at Goodwood, where he has a superb record. And on Sunday he did exactly that winning the Ladbrokes Supporting Children With Cancer UK Novice Stakes on Modmin – who has the same owners as Battaash.

Crowley, who also won this year’s Sussex Stakes on Mohaather, said: “It’s been a fantastic season so far – I hope it continues – and it’s nice to do it here at my local track.

“I’ve got a lot of fond memories here and to do it in these colours, especially for Marcus [Tregoning] as well, it was nice.”

The 42-year-old joins Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore, Joe Fanning and Jamie Spencer as a current rider to have achieved 2,000 British wins.

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But his win was not the only big moment witnessed at Goodwood on Sunday.

Century Dream takes the Celebration Mile / Picture: Alan Crowhurst, GettyCentury Dream takes the Celebration Mile / Picture: Alan Crowhurst, Getty
Century Dream takes the Celebration Mile / Picture: Alan Crowhurst, Getty

Guy Mitchell is a familiar figure at the track as the racecourse’s medical officer, and is the first one-eyed jockey to get a licence. Shortly after Crowley’s big win, Mitchell recorded his first win with an amazing 50/1 triumph on The Game Is On in division one of the Gay Kindersley Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap.

It was a lovely moment that helped bring down the curtain on three action-packed afternoons of racing on the Downs where the absence of crowds was again felt.

Happily TV bosses had enabled live racing-starved fans the chance to watch the Goodwood action, the highlight of which was Saturday’s Celebration Mile, won by James Doyle on the 11/4 favourite Century Dream, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford.

Friday’s opening day featured the Chichester Observer Nursery Handicap, which gave Laura Coughlan a first Goodwood winner on 18/1 chance Wholelotafun