Goodwood Confirms Prize Money Increase
With the start of the new season less than three weeks away, Goodwood Racecourse has announced a prize money boost of 12% – increasing the total purse to over £3.6 million across 19 race days – including five days of Glorious Goodwood.
The five days of Glorious Goodwood will be worth over £2 million in prize money, with some of the established Goodwood races seeing a substantial uplift in 2013.
The Group 3 Gordon Stakes, which will be sponsored by Neptune Investment Management for the first time, will be worth £75,000 and will now take place on Wednesday rather than Tuesday.
Also worth £75,000 is the Bet365 Summer Stakes, a 1m6f Open Handicap won last year by Motivado, the favourite for last year’s Ebor, and will now take place on the opening day of the race meeting.
The Group2 Veuve Cliquot Vintage Stakes, the Group 2 Audi Richmond Stakes and the Group 1 Markel Nassau Stakes will also see significant prize money boosts this season.
In addition, the May Festival, which takes place at the end of the month, has also seen prize money increase over the three days and with a new Handicap on the Saturday, worth £50,000 and a valuable Class 2 Handicap on each day, to support the existing Listed Races.
Adam Waterworth, managing director of Goodwood Racecourse commented: ‘I am really pleased that we have been able to increase prize money across the year so significantly. The May Festival is a particular meeting that we are keen to develop, so the added races and prize money are a good step forward.’
‘We are currently working with the Horseman’s Group and hope to progress Prize Money Agreements with them – we have always seen investment in prize money as crucial and will continue to invest whatever we can in our racing.’
Goodwood’s increased prize money comes at a time when the Horseman’s Group is keen to see courses enter Prize Money Agreements, and Goodwood are similarly keen to see these negotiations completed.
This winter has been difficult for most racecourses and Goodwood has not escaped, with freezing temperatures, snow and considerable rain limiting the growth of the turf.
Seamus Buckley, clerk of the course added: ‘It has been a terrible six months, with all the rain in the autumn and then a very cold winter with strong easterly winds. There was, therefore, little growth in the grass but things are improving every day and we are finally beginning to see the course dry out, although we had 27mm of rain last week! It has been fertilised and I am confident that the course will be in great shape come 4th May. I am very excited about the season ahead.’
For the third year, Goodwood will host its popular Three Friday Nights, with Rudimental playing live in the paddock after racing on Friday 31st May, Andy Cato (one half of Groove Armada) on the 14th June and Radio 1’s Trevor Nelson rounding off the series on 21st June.
