Goodwood Handicap

The Goodwood is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, run at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 1200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse, Adelaide in the SAJC Autumn Carnival.^[1]

Race history

As from 2007 the race will revert to a set weights and penalties event after previously being a handicap race throughout its 121-year history and was renamed The Goodwood. The event is the richest sprint race in autumn in Adelaide with $500,000 in prize money.^[1] The race was a principal race until 1980 when it was granted Group 1 status.^[1] In the years between 1881–1885 the distance was one mile.^[2]
The race has always attracted high calibre sprinters. Recently such champions as Black Caviar and Takeover Target have won the race who have gone on to win overseas.^[1] Two horses have won the race twice with Mostyn (1894–95) and Musket Belle (1911–12).^[3] Aurie's Star won the race in 1940 had in previous seasons taken out the Oakleigh Plate twice and the VRC Newmarket Handicap.^[3]

Race records

The leading trainer with five wins is Walter Hickenbotham and they were achieved in the first decade of the twentieth century.^[3] (1901, 1902, 1906, 1909, 1910)^[2] South Australian jockey John Letts holds the record with five wins in the event.^[3] (1961, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1984)^[2]

The race record time was set by Spectrum in 1995 in a time of 1:08.33.^[2]

The winners

References