Racing Review: Recapping Goodwood and an eye-catcher for your notebook

In his latest Racing Review column, Races Now’s Harry Fowler looks back on a fantastic 2026 edition of the Glorious Goodwood festival, recapping the best moments, outstanding performances and hard-luck stories.

Harry also gives us his weekly eye-catcher to add to your notebooks…

2026 Glorious Goodwood review

Interference drama unlikely to have stopped superb Scandanavia

Glorious Goodwood delivered a fantastic five days of racing and, unlike last year, the weather played its part in making the festival extra special. Set against one of the UK's most picturesque racecourses, it produced plenty of memorable moments and several superb performances that will live long in the memory.

The feature race on day one, the Group 1 Goodwood Cup, promised to be a blockbuster with the eagerly anticipated rematch between Scandinavia and Trawlerman.

Unfortunately, the race was overshadowed by drama at the start when Amiloc unshipped Hector Crouch. As someone who had backed Rahiebb in a match bet against Amiloc, it felt like the biggest freebie I had ever had.

The loose Amiloc continued to cause problems during the race and just as the contest was developing inside the final two furlongs with Scandinavia moving into contention, he badly hampered Trawlerman, denying us the battle everyone wanted to see.

Would the result have been different without the interference? No. I think Scandinavia is simply exceptional. He has already achieved more than Kyprios had at the same stage of his career. We could be witnessing the emergence of a new staying great, I feel.

Brilliant Bow Echo preserves unbeaten status

Day two gave us the race of the week in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes. It was the third meeting between Bow Echo and Gstaad, with both taking on older horses for the first time.

Bow Echo had looked a superstar beforehand, but there was still the question of whether his form would stand up against older opposition. We saw last season that Field Of Gold struggled to make that transition.

Aidan O'Brien once again threw everything from his ranks at the favourite, just as he had at Royal Ascot, and I am not sure what more they could have done to get him beaten really.

Two furlongs out, Gstaad made his move while Bow Echo was still trapped in traffic and seemingly going nowhere. What followed was astonishing, however. His turn of foot was breathtaking and he somehow got up to win a race that looked beyond him.

Opera Ballo also ran with credit, but I still feel these tactical races do not suit him. He wants to lead and dominate, as he did in the Sandown Mile, rather than chase strong early fractions set by pacemakers.

Diamond sparkles in Nassau

The feature on day three was the Group 1 Nassau Stakes and normal service resumed for Aidan O'Brien.

Diamond Necklace arrived a 4/6 favourite and she showed why she was that short when comfortably beating Friendly Soul by two and three quarter lengths, with See The Fire another five lengths back.

She looks every inch a superstar and it will be fascinating to see where she runs next, although O'Brien has no shortage of stars to place in the major races.

Friendly Soul also deserves plenty of credit.

She missed her entire four-year-old campaign before returning after more than 600 days, only to put her foot in a hole while cantering at Haydock. She then endured little luck at Royal Ascot. Stepping up to ten furlongs suited her well and I think there are still plenty of big races to come if she gets a clear run.

Qatar Stakes as unpredictable as ever

The feature on day four was the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes and once again the sprint division proved impossible to predict.

The first three home had finished 26th, 25th and 19th in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot, highlighting just how competitive these races are.

American Affair returned to something like his best after failing to hit last season's heights following the injury that ended his campaign. Rumstar has also enjoyed a solid season apart from his Ascot run, with his Coral Charge victory at Sandown standing out.

Night Raider was the disappointment. I fancied him strongly after his gelding operation appeared to unlock improvement earlier in the season, but he never landed a blow. My biggest takeaway from the race is simple.

Think twice before having a bet in the Nunthorpe.

Wathnan’s shrewd placing lands Stewards’ Cup

The festival concluded with the Stewards' Cup, won by Evening Saignon, whose victory looked another excellent piece of placement by Wathnan Racing and trainer Hamad Al Jehani.

He had finished a neck behind Far Above Dream at Goodwood in May while conceding three pounds, yet this time received three pounds from that rival and started at almost three times the price.

His seventh at Royal Ascot was better than it looked after meeting trouble both at the start and inside the final furlong, and the first time cheekpieces also appeared to help. Returning to Goodwood on more favourable terms with rivals including Completely Random, Soldier's Dream, Far Above Dream and Mitbaahy, he was always capable of reversing the form.

The horse I want to take from the race, however, is Toca Madera. He shaped much better than the result suggests and looks capable of winning races from his current mark.

Fowler’s eye-catcher of the week – Wid

We finish this review column with a new regular feature, where I’ll pick out a horse that caught my eye across the last week’s action.

Honourable mentions go to Toca Madera, Diego El Queso, Harmonics, Proposal and Polka Blue.

But my eye-catcher came from the 5.20 Fillies' Handicap over a mile on Tuesday, where it was a close call between Wid and Proposal. I have just sided with the Ralph Beckett-trained Wid.

She was slowly away from an already difficult draw in stall 11 and was forced to drop right to the rear before switching across to the rail, using valuable energy in the process. From there she had to wait for gaps that never really came, eventually diving through the cutaway inside the final furlong.

Despite everything, she finished strongly into fourth and was the best finisher from the rear. That was only her handicap debut and I think she will have learned plenty from the experience.

She looks well capable of improving beyond her current mark of 80 and I’m eagerly awaiting her return to the track.

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