Racing Times

Goodwood’s curator James Peill has published a new history of the estate as its summer season gets into full swing

- Jack Watkins

In its gazetteer section on British racecourses, the Turf annual Horses in Training 2019 describes Goodwood as “a sharp, undulating course, essentially right-handed with a long run-in.” Such a bald sentence hardly hints at the idiosyncrasies or the beauty of the most scenic racetrack in the land. A modern racing entrepreneur would never launch a new course in such a location, no artist could dream of anywhere better. Six miles north of Chichester, high on the South Downs, the turns and gradients make it a trappy ride for jockeys and a tricky venue for punters looking to back a winner.

Glorious Goodwood, its prime meeting, has long been a highlight of the flat season, and with the unveiling of a ten-year sponsorship from Qatar in 2015, the financial value of big races such as the Sussex Stakes and the Goodwood Cup has been massively increased. But while it’s practically impossible to attend what is officially now the Qatar Goodwood Festival and not be moved by the setting or sense of occasion, how many are aware of the history of the sporting estate that lay behind its creation?

For those wanting to fill the knowledge gap, a new book from James Peill, curator of the Goodwood Collection, is the perfect gift. James admits that the story of how the Goodwood Estate came to be, with its creators the Dukes of Richmond being descendants of King Charles II by his French mistress Louise de Keroualle, has been recounted many times. “My intention has been simply to tell the story to a new generation,” he says, explaining his aim was “to bring to life the house and the different characters, with a continuous thread of sport running through it.”