2021 Goodwood Cup Tips & Predictions

For the first time, Stradivarius travels to Sussex on the back of defeat at Royal Ascot. Frankie Dettori got a little boxed in on the rail as Subjectivist set off for home in the Gold Cup, and could only stay on to finish fourth. Despite that loss, the bookies still don't want to take the four-time Goodwood Cup winner on, and bet365 is currently offering a top price of 10/11 on John Gosden's star.

Spanish Mission kept on well to finish one place ahead of Stradivarius at Ascot, and Andrew Balding's five-year-old sits prominently in the Goodwood betting. As does Long Distance Cup winner Trueshan, despite his sixth-place finish in the Northumberland Plate.

Baron Semedi won the Belmont Cup over this distance for Joseph O'Brien in June, and could make the trip over to Britain for the first time. Joseph's father, Aidan accounts for five of the 17 entries, with last year's third Santiago, and former Epsom Derby winner Serpentine the highest placed of his quintet in the betting.

The youngest of the O'Brien's, Donnacha could give Emperor Of The Sun another run at the highest level, having stayed on from the rear to place fifth in the Gold Cup. 

Ocean Wind could step up to Group One level for the first time since the 2020 Champion Bumper. Live Your Dream, Away He Goes and last year's Glorious Goodwood runner-up, Nayef Road also feature in the betting.

Kicking off the Glorious Goodwood carnival is the Goodwood Cup.

Originating in 1812, the Goodwood Cup has since become a global racing event despite being run as a Group 2 and Group 3 race for most of its existence.

Now a Group 1 feature, the Goodwood Cup is shining on the international stage with recent winners including Big Orange, Brown Panther and Cavalryman – all of which have contested major staying races around the world.

There have been multiple winners including Double Trigger, which won three times in four years and also Yeats and Big Orange, which won twice respectively.

The Goodwood Cup is raced after the Ascot Gold Cup and before the Doncaster Cup, which gives stayers a chance to race in all three or chose their desired staying path.

Five jockeys have won the race on five occasions with Pat Eddery being the most recent in 1996 when winning aboard Great Shot.

John Scott trained seven winners in the early stages of the race, but the likes of Aidan O'Brien, Saeed bin Suroor and Mark Johnston have dominated since.

The last five years have all been about Stradivarius. John Gosden's star first won the Goodwood Cup as a three-year-old in 2017. Stradivarius then retained his title in 2018, completed a hat-trick in 2019 and defeated Nayef Road and Santiago to become the first four-time Goodwood Cup winner in 2020.

The favourites have a great record in the Goodwood Cup, winning six of the last 12 editions.

Favourites to win recently include Big Orange (11/4), Saddler's Rock (2/1), Opinion Poll (9/2) and Yeats (8/15).

Apart from Yeats' two wins since 2006, punters have got better than odds-on for every favourite winning and some champion staying thoroughbreds have paid handsomely with bookmakers.

Big Orange paid 6/1 when winning his first Goodwood Cup and paid better than even money when winning it a year later.

Brown Panther was considered one of the better rising stayers at the time and punters were able to secure odds of 13/2 for the Tom Dascombe-trained runner.

The last three winners have all had three starts that season prior to running in the Goodwood Cup, with all three winning at least one race that season.

Having form at Goodwood isn't needed as Yeats, Allegretto, Saddler's Rock, Brown Panther and 2017 winner Stradivarius didn't have any experience on the track prior to winning.

Only one of the last eight winners had a Group 1 win prior to the Goodwood Cup (Cavalryman) and Brown Panther hadn't won at any group level.

The age of the winner is varied, but punters should stick to ages 4-6.