Goodwood Cup

The Goodwood Cup is the oldest of all of the races held at the Glorious Goodwood meeting having been established in 1808 as the Silver Cup over 3 miles. The first three times the race was run it was won by Bucephalus, the Silver trophy being permanently awarded to his owner Mr Trevanion. This required a new Gold trophy to be made, which is still contested today, and the inaugural running of that event, the Goodwood Cup, took place in 1812. Although it was initially contested over 3 miles, it was then reduced to 2 miles 5 furlongs, while in 1971 it became a Group 2 race. In 1985 it was degraded to Group 3 level, and by 1990 its distance was reduced to 2 miles 4 furlongs. In 1991 it was reduced still further to 2 miles, but by 1995 it had regained its Group 2 status and then, in 2017, it was promoted to Group 1. It is now firmly established as the second leg of the Stayers’ Triple Crown, sandwiched between the Ascot Gold Cup and the Doncaster Cup, and is traditionally held on the opening day of the 5-day meeting.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Gold Cup was on Monday 4th May 1812 when Mr Cope’s 4-year-old chestnut Shoestrings beat the 6-year-olds Smallhopes and Hylas.
Goodwood Cup 1843 Group 1 2 miles 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 HYLLUS F Butler aged-9st 7lbs Mr Lichtwald 4/1
2 SIRIKOL J Chapple 3-6st 12lbs Sir George Heathcote 10/1
3 CHARLES THE TWELFTH Charles Marson aged-9st 9lbs Mr Andrew Johnstone 9/2
4 ROBERT DE GORHAM W Cotton 4-8st 10lbs Lord Verulam 14/1
5 NAWORTH S Rogers 6-8st 9lbs Lord George Bentinck 50/1
6 VIBRATION W Butler 4-8st 6lbs Mr Forth 25/1
7 GOLDEN RULE Bell 4-8st 1lbs Mr Forth 50/1
8 BALAENA W Howlett 4-7st 11lbs Duke of Richmond 50/1
9 BARONET Nat Flatman 4-7st 10lb Mr Gully 100/6
10 THE PUNCHER Wakefield 4-7st 3lbs Colonel Anson 50/1
11 GORHAMBURY Bartholomew 3-7st 2lbs Colonel Charretie 5/2 fav
12 DANSOMANIE S Mann 5-7st 1lb Mr Fray 50/1
13 POMPEY Francis 3-6st 10lbs Lord Eglinton 6/1
This race took place on Thursday 27th July 1843 and was a subscription race of 20 guineas each. There were 47 subscribers, and it was valued at 300 sovereigns (equivalent to £41,000 in 2021). Over round 116%

Bell's Life and the Sporting Chronicle of July 1843 gave a detailed description of the 1843 Chesterfield Cup, describing it as 'A magnificent prize, equal in value to the Goodwood Cup, from the celebrated establishment of Messrs. Garrard, in Panton Street, London. It was from a design by Mr Cotterell, who has a high merit of being the first originator of works of art in which sculptural and poetical tastes are so admirably combined. The Goodwood Cup was a scene from Ivanhoe and the ballad of the Wild Hunstman. The Ivanhoe group consists of three figures, the Knight of the Fetterlock, the Jolly Clerk of Copmanhurst, and Wamba the Jester.