Day two of the Goodwood Festival 2026, or as it is universally known, the Glorious Goodwood, is packed with seven races, offering the horse racing enthusiasts a day filled with heated rivalries, breathtaking spectacles, and exciting celebrations. The feature race of the second day of the Festival is the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes, which also headlines the entire meeting. This year, it falls on Wednesday, 29 July.
The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres). It was launched in 1841 as a 6 furlong race for two year olds but for 37 years remained largely overshadowed by the Goodwood Cup and the Stewards’ Cup. This changed in 1878 when it was reshaped as a 1 mile race for three year olds. In the mid-20th century it also removed the upper age limit. In its current form, the Sussex Stakes is the most prestigious race conducted at the Goodwood Racecourse.
In this article we will examine the list of runners declared to run in this season’s race, take a closer look at the race card for the entire second day, and review in-depth some of the most promising runners and market’s favourites to compete in the race.
Sussex Stakes Day 2026 Racecard
The Goodwood Festival 2026 will be conducted in the last week of July and last for five days. This horse racing fixture will include 38 races, with eight races conducted on the first, third, and fourth days, and seven races on the second and fifth days of the event. Sussex Stakes will take place on the second day of the meeting as the headline race of the day and the entire meeting.
Day Two: Sussex Stakes Day (29 July)
- When: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race: 1:50 pm
- Headline race: 4:10 pm
- Last race: 5:40 pm
The daily race card for the Sussex Stakes Day 2026 is as follows:
Going: good (good to firm in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:50 pm | THE CORAL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 2) | 1m 3f 218y | 3YO £75,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 2:25 pm | THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF ALICE KEPPEL FILLIES’ CONDITIONS STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBB RACE) (CL 2) | 5f | 2YO £100,000.00 |
| 3:00 pm | THE ROLLS-ROYCE OAK TREE STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 7f | 3YO+ £110,000.00 |
| 3:35 pm | THE VEUVE CLICQUOT MOLECOMB STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 5f | 2YO £110,000.00 |
| 4:10 pm | THE VISIT QATAR SUSSEX STAKES (Class 1) (Group 1) (CL 1) | 1m | 3YO+ £1,500,000.00 |
| 5:00 pm | THE CHARLTON HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 6f | 3YO+ £40,000.00 Rating 0-80 |
| 5:40 pm | THE HKJC WORLD POOL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) (CL 3) | 7f | 3YO+ £50,000.00 Rating 0-95 |
Sussex Stakes 2026 Runners
Winning the headline race of the meeting and the most prestigious race of the Goodwood Racecourse is no small achievement. This season, victory comes with a hefty prize purse of £1,500,000. The race has been open to any horse aged three years or older since 1975, attracting some of the best runners to appear on its tracks. For horse racing fans this means they can expect some of the greatest performances to determine the next rightful champion unfolding right in front of them.
Currently, there are 12 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Docklands (age 6, jockey James Doyle, trainer Harry Eustace)
- Lake Forest (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer William Haggas)
- Never So Brave (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
- Opera Ballo (age 4, jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby)
- Qirat (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ralph Beckett)
- Seagulls Eleven (age 4, jockey Oisin Murphy, trainer Hugo Palmer)
- Ten Bob Tony (age 5, jockey Kieran Shoemark, trainer Ed Walker)
- Bow Echo (age 3, jockey Billy Loughnane, trainer George Boughey)
- Dorset (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Gstaad (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Puerto Rico (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Zavateri (age 3, jockey Charles Bishop, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton)
Who to Look Out for at the Sussex Stakes 2026
This year, as tradition dictates, the Goodwood Racecourse expects to host a number of great runners who come to Chichester to take part in its largest and most prestigious race, the Sussex Stakes. As there are no age limit restrictions on participation, expect some new as well as familiar faces on the tracks this season. While many runners come back to run in the Sussex Stakes, as of now only one horse has won the champion title more than once. The legendary bay colt Frankel who hadn’t lost a single start in 14 races he ran throughout his career, had belted 2 wins in the Sussex Stakes (2011, 2012).
The latest winner in 2025 was a 4 year old chestnut gelding Qirat. This was his only win of the season, though it does seem like he favours the Goodwood Racecourse. In the previous season he had won two races at the venue: William Hill Harroways Handicap (May 2024) and William Hill Most Top Price Runners Handicap (August 2024). Since the beginning of the 2026 season he has participated in three races and won one of them (Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion Stakes, York Racecourse, June 2026). He has been declared to participate in this year’s race. Qirat was trained by Ralph Becketty and led on the track by jockey Richard Kingscote.
Bow Echo
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: George Boughey
- Major achievements: 5 out of 5 wins, including St James’s Palace Stakes (June 2026) and Betfred 2,000 Guineas Stakes (May 2026)
Newcomer Bow Echo has been taking the flat racing world by storm ever since his maiden race of TPT Fire Supports St Michaels Hospice EBF Maiden Stakes (Newbury Racecourse, August 2025), which he won. He went on to participate in two other races in his debut season of 2025 and won both of them: Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes (Haydock Park Racecourse) and Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes (Newmarket Racecourse), both in September 2025.
What truly placed George Boughey’s charge in the limelight was his first win of the 2026 season. He started the season by becoming the champion of the Betfred 2,000 Guineas Stakes (Newmarket Racecourse, May 2026). This spectacular win immediately placed him among the top market favourites for the upcoming Royal Ascot week. In June 2026 Bow Echo entered the St James’s Palace Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse and took the crown, cementing his favourite status.
Opera Ballo
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: Charlie Appleby
- Major achievements: 7 out of 10 wins, including bet365 Mile (April 2026) and Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes (July 2025)
Another newcomer on the flat horse racing scene, Opera Ballo debuted in 2025 and immediately showed outstanding skills by winning five out of seven races he participated in. This included his maiden race of Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Maiden Stakes (Kempton Park Racecourse, January 2025), Star Sports Heron Stakes (Sandown Park Racecourse, May 2025), and Al Rashidiya Sponsored By Emaar (Meydan Racecourse, UAE, December 2025).
Charlie Appleby’s charge returned to the Meydan Racecourse in January 2026 to run in the Jebel Hatta Presented By Longines as his first race of the season and won the first place. He then went on to win the Sandown Mile (bet365 Mile, Sandown Park Racecourse, April 2026), becoming one of the favourites for the Queen Anne Stakes during the Royal Ascot week in June 2026. Though Opera Ballo came in third after Ten Bob Tony and More Thunder, who took first and second place respectively, he remains among the favourites for this race.
Gstaad
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- Major achievements: 4 out of 9 wins, including Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas (May 2026) and Coventry Stakes (June 2025)
Gstaad debuted in 2025 and promptly won three races he ran in, including the maiden Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (Navan Racecourse, Ireland, May 2025) and the Coventry Stakes at the Royal Ascot (Ascot Racecourse, June 2025). He was placed second in all of the remaining three races of the season he took part in, which included the Darley Dewhurst Stakes during the Future Champions Festival (Newmarket Racecourse, October 2025).
Aidan O’Brien’s charge was considered one of the favourites for the Betfred 2,000 Guineas Stakes 2026 (Newmarket Racecourse, May 2026). This became his first race of the 2026 season. He finished second behind Bow Echo. Later the same month he won the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas (Curragh Racecourse, May 2026) and then was placed second behind his archrival Bow Echo in the St James’s Palace Stakes (Ascot Racecourse, June 2026).
Ten Bob Tony
- Age: 5 years old
- Sex and colour: chestnut gelding
- Trainer: Ed Walker
- Major achievements: 5 out of 18 wins, including Queen Anne Stakes (June 2026) and Betfred Tattenham Corner Stakes (June 2026)
Ten Bob Tony catapulted into the list of market favourites after he got two major wins under his belt in the current season. He first won the Betfred Tattenham Corner Stakes during the Epsom Derby Festival (Epsom Downs Racecourse, June 2026) and then went on to win the highly prestigious Queen Anne Stakes during the Royal Ascot week (Ascot Racecourse, June 2026).
Ed Walker’s charge debuted in 2023, and since then consistently won one race per season until this year: Radcliffe & Co British EBF Novice Stakes (Salisbury Racecourse, October 2023), bet365 EBF Conditions Stakes (Newmarket Racecourse, April 2024), and Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes (Haydock Park Racecourse, May 2025). While he is well familiar with the Newmarket and Ascot Racecourses, having run there more than once, this will be his first appearance at the Goodwood Racecourse tracks.
Lake Forest
- Age: 5 years old
- Sex and colour: chestnut gelding
- Trainer: William Haggas
- Major achievements: 4 out of 17 wins, including Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes (May 2026) and Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes (August 2023)
Lake Forest began his racing career by winning his maiden race of Jewson St Helens EBF Novice Stakes at the Haydock Park Racecourse in June 2023. He went on to be placed second in the highly prestigious Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes during the Newmarket July Festival (Newmarket Racecourse, July 2023, winner Jasour). He later won the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at the York Racecourse in August 2023.
This year will mark the second time William Haggas’s charge will be running at the Goodwood Racecourse during the Glorious Goodwood, having previously taken part in the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes where he finished second (Goodwood Racecourse, July 2025, winner Witness Stand). Since the beginning of the current season, he has run in two races, taking the fifth place in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Ascot Racecourse, June 2026, winner Almeraq) and winning the Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes (Haydock Park Racecourse, May 2026).
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