The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1flathorse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3,219 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.
History
The first version of the Goodwood Cup was established in 1808, and it was won on three separate occasions by Bucephalus. Its trophy, a silver cup, was awarded permanently to the horse's owner after the third victory. The replacement trophy was a gold cup, and the inaugural running for this took place in 1812. The race was originally contested over 3 miles, but it was later cut to 2 miles and 5 furlongs. Since 1991 the race has been run over 2 miles.
A number of foreign-bred horses won the Goodwood Cup in the mid-19th century. Early winners for France included Jouvence, Monarque and Flageolet, and the United States was represented by Starke. A notable overseas victory came from Kincsem, a Hungarian filly undefeated in a career of fifty-four races.
The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Goodwood Cup was initially classed at Group 2 level. It was relegated to Group 3 status in 1985. It was shortened by a furlong in 1990, and reduced to its current length the following year. It regained Group 2 status in 1995. In 2017 the status was raised again to Group 1 and the purse was increased from £300,000 to £500,000.[1]
The Goodwood Cup is one of Britain's leading events for stayers – horses that specialise in racing over long distances. It is the second leg of the Stayers' Triple Crown, preceded by the Gold Cup and followed by the Doncaster Cup.
The race is now held on the opening day of the five-day Glorious Goodwood meeting.
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