Gear Up for Glorious Goodwood: A Guide to Qatar Goodwood Festival

It’s off to the races from 31 July to 4 August at Goodwood Estate for the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Get ready with us for Glorious Goodwood- from fashion to food and enclosures, these tips are straight from the horse’s mouth.

Gear Up for Glorious Goodwood: A Guide to Qatar Goodwood Festival

The Enclosures

Richmond (Members Only): The Richmond Enclosure features bars including the Champagne Lawn and 1812 Bar, a number of restaurants, private boxes and offers the best vantage points of the Parade Ring and Racecourse – including views directly opposite the winning post, as well as covered seating within the March Grandstand. Richmond Enclosure patrons also have access to both the Gordon and Lennox Enclosures.

Gordon: In the premier public enclosure at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, racegoers will enjoy Parade Ring access, standing viewing from within the March Grandstand, covered seating within the Sussex Stand, as well as views of the racing from near the winning post. There are plenty of bars, private boxes, the Sussex Bistro restaurant and a variety of casual dining options. Gordon Enclosure patrons also have access to the Lennox Enclosure. From £41. 

Lennox: This relaxed enclosure is popular with families owing to its large children’s playground and expanses of flat grassy picnic spots. The Lennox Enclosure offers traditional food and beverage outlets and picnics are welcome, however, no glass bottles or alcohol is permitted. There is no access to any other enclosure for patrons of the Lennox Enclosure. From £20.

An enclosure information table is also available. Book tickets at ticketing.goodwood.com. A discount of 20% applies to groups of 10 or more.

The Agenda

Day 1, Tuesday 31 July: The Qatar Goodwood Festival gets underway with the Opening Ceremony. The upgraded Group 1 Qatar Goodwood Cup takes centre stage on the first day.

Day 2, Wednesday 1 August: The Qatar Sussex Stakes is one of the highlights of the flat racing season, and with prize money of £1 million, attracts a world-class field. This mile-long Group 1 race has previously been won by the peerless Frankel, the French sensation Solow and, in 2017, by the 20/1 shot Here Comes When.

Day 3, Thursday 2 August: Ladies’ Day, the most glamorous day of the Festival, is the place to be and be seen. The ladies amateur jockey race, the Magnolia Cup presented by Swarovski, will be an energetic start to the day, raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Day 4, Friday 3 August: The sight of a packed field of horses, hurtling at speeds over 40mph past the Goodwood grandstands, makes the £300,000 Group 2 Qatar King George Stakes an enthralling day in the Glorious Goodwood line-up.

Day 5, Saturday 4 August: The Qatar Stewards Cup takes centre stage for the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. This historic race gives racegoers the opportunity to witness the finest equine speedsters dashing past an idyllic backdrop in attempt to claim the £250,000 prize. Previous winners of this iconic sprint include Loch Song and Dancing Star.

The Look

As King Edward VII famously declared, the Qatar Goodwood Festival is a ‘garden party with racing tacked on.’ Smart, but never stuffy, ‘Goodwood’ style is quintessentially English.

Gentlemen: A jacket and tie, or cravate is required for Richmond Enclosure guests. A linen suit is classic, especially when topped with a Panama hat. Boys aged 16+ are required to follow the dress code for gentlemen whereas boys aged 7-15 years are encouraged to wear a collared shirt. Gentlemen are also encouraged to wear a jacket and tie in the Gordon Enclosure, while there is no formal dress code for the Lennox Enclosure.

‘Grooming is key. You can get away with a fairly casual outfit if the details are polished.’ – Lisa Armstrong, Fashion Director of the Telegraph

Ladies: The Goodwood’s style guide recommends that ladies ‘choose from key trends this season such as head-to-toe blooms, statement stripes or wallpaper prints. If you prefer something plain, soft pastel hues look equally fresh and contemporary. A simple tea dress, flowing maxi-dress or something more structured would work perfectly. Dresses also have the benefit of being comfortable and cool, should the sun shine all day.’

The Food

Glorious Goodwood’s restaurants enjoy stunning views, be it across the Downs, out towards the Solent and the Isle of Wight, towards the Parade Ring or overlooking the racecourse itself.

Hospitality Restaurants: Secret Garden (From £372), a fabulous garden restaurant bedecked with wild English flowers, Charlton Hunt (From £474), with unrivalled views of the racing action, and Final Furlong (From £282), which allows you to get up close to the action, include delights such as a Champagne reception; Three-course buffet lunch; Afternoon Tea; Unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks; and Tote betting facilities.

Public Restaurant: Sussex Bistro offers a traditional carvery using local ingredients sourced from the surrounding British countryside. Situated on the first floor of the Sussex Stand, with views towards the Parade Ring, the Sussex Bistro is a relaxed break from the races. Prices start from £82 per person.

Member & Guest Restaurants: Double Trigger is ideally positioned to view the horses in the Parade Ring, with a menu celebrating all things land and sea (£135). The Horsewalk Restaurant is a modern all-day British restaurant with a strong emphasis on locally sourced food, featuring Goodwood Estate goods (£113).

The Accommodation

Park House, Bepton, Nr Midhurst, West Sussex

A hotel for today that was created yesterday and has been considerably enhanced in recent years. In the same family for well over 60 years, it has all the graciousness, tranquillity and atmosphere of a privileged family home, where children and dogs are welcome. There’s a wall plastered with family photos and celebrated past guests, and the clink of china teacups in the garden outside. There are 12 bedrooms in the main house (plus a further nine in three adjacent cottages), which look down onto a leisurely, almost Edwardian scene: flower-covered pergola, two lawn tennis courts, croquet lawn, a testing six-hole golf course and emerald putting green, all perfectly maintained. Beyond the lawns are long views onto a lovely wooded section of the South Downs, with not another house in sight. Add a sleek spa with indoor and outdoor pools and fine food in the elegant dining room, and Park House, perfectly placed for Chichester and the Sussex Downs, is hard to beat. Doubles from £135. +44 (0)1730 819000;  parkhousehotel.com

The Way There

Goodwood Racecourse, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0PS. Located just outside Chichester, only 60 miles from London, 30 miles from Brighton and Southampton.

From London: Follow the A3 (Junction 10 on the M25) south towards Guildford. About 3 miles past Guildford, at the Milford turning, take the A283 to Petworth, then the A285 to Chichester for about 6 miles.

There is a regular service from London Victoria to Chichester (1 hour 40 minutes), plus the coastal service from Brighton and Portsmouth. Buses or taxis are available at Chichester Station.

More ways of getting there are available online.

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