Liberatum more than makes up for Goodwood garb gaffe

With the European turf championship finales all wonderfully delivered, and the jockeys' titles secured for Jim Crowley and Josephine Gordon, thoughts of many racing fans are turning to the jumps. Ironically, as the final showpiece Group 1s are handed out and the days become shorter, my season seems to be warming up again with the promise of several horses in action.

Liberatum recently finished a good third from ten runners on his second start at Goodwood. Ridden by Jim Crowley over a straight six furlongs, Liberatum was in contention until seeming to tire in the final furlong, probably as a consequence of the long layoff since his debut at Windsor in May. Hopefully that was confirmed on Saturday when he was due to follow up over the same distance on the all-weather at Chelmsford.

I made a schoolboy error at Goodwood by turning up without a tie, not thinking the formality of the Glorious meeting would extend to a low-key Sunday at the end of the season. A charity donation was required to hire an item from the track's own collection of tastelessly patterned neckwear stored at the entrance as a penance for breaking the dress code. Everything at the Sussex track is done with a smile on the face of staff and punters alike – it's a superbly well-run venue where they're determined to make sure you enjoy yourself, even when forced to commit crimes against fashion and good taste.