Four key trainers to follow at Glorious Goodwood

Course form, squad depth and top quality horses need to combine for success at Goodwood. Here are four trainers who can make the five-day festival their own.

Mark Johnston

The winningmost trainer in the history of British racing has never made any secret of the affection he has for Goodwood or the festival that sits as the course's showpiece and in 2019 Mark Johnston has another enviable squad.

His total of 147 winners at the track is bettered only by Richard Hannon snr, John Gosden and Sir Michael Stoute, while his 43 winners there over the last five years proves he is the master at preparing horses for the unique test that is Goodwood.

Dark Vision strides to success in the Vintage Stakes at Glorious GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dee Ex Bee shapes as the highest profile Johnston-trained runner at the meeting, but he will need to reverse form with Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup. The two-year-old Visinari, who travelled like the winner for a long way in the July Stakes at Newmarket, will bid to follow stablemate Dark Vision's success in the Vintage Stakes and give Johnston a fifth victory in the Group 2.

The aforementioned Dark Vision returns to the venue of his greatest triumph and looks likely to spearhead a possibly six-strong team for the Unibet Golden Mile – a race Johnston has won five times.

Charlie Hills

Charlie Hills looks likely to arrive at Goodwood in the same position as he did before Royal Ascot – with a handful of horses who hold legitimate chances in big races. However, the Lambourn trainer will be hoping that is where the similarity ends and that he can land a couple of the week's big prizes.

With no Blue Point to handle this time, speed machine Battaash will be a red-hot favourite to complete his hat-trick in the King George Stakes – a race in which the five-year-old has arguably produced the two finest performances of his career. Elsewhere, Phoenix Of Spain will be at the forefront of the minds of many for the Sussex Stakes, as the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner attempts to bounce back form after running flat in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Hills has a deep squad for the meeting this year, with the likes of Royal Ascot winner Afaak and the similarly Hamdam Al Maktoum-owned Khaadem supplementing his big guns.

John Gosden

The looming presence of John Gosden at all major Flat meetings has become habitual and the reigning champion trainer will doubtless be a major force at Goodwood over the five-day meeting.

This year all eyes will be on Stradivarius, who on Tuesday will go in search of his third successive Goodwood Cup, an eighth victory in a row and another step towards a second Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million.

Cheshire Oaks winner Mehdaayih will head to the Nassau StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

However, Gosden – Goodwood's second winningmost trainer – has an embarrassment of riches beyond the champion stayer. Too Darn Hot, who returned to form to win the Prix Jean Prat, holds leading chances in the Sussex Stakes, while Mehdaayih goes in search of a first Group 1 victory in the Nassau Stakes after getting off the mark at Group 2 level in the Prix de Malleret at Saint Cloud last month.

With promising fillies Enbihaar and Litigious likely to run in the Lillie Langtry Stakes, as well as Turgenev – who nearly continued Frankie Dettori's magical run on day three at Royal Ascot – and Emblazoned to throw at valuable handicaps, it would be a big surprise if Gosden exited the meeting without a number of notable wins.

William Haggas

Powerful Newmarket trainer William Haggas is no stranger to success at Goodwood, having earned over £1.8 million in prize-money at the track over his career.

What may be unique about Haggas's squad for the five-day meeting this year is that a cohesive argument could be made that his best chance of the week may be in a handicap. Mojito was seriously impressive on his return from a 637-day break when getting the better of Escobar in the Coral Challenge at Sandown earlier this month and the lightly-raced five-year-old shapes to be one of the few potential Group horses lingering in the Golden Mile.

Maqsad: an intriguing runner in the Nassau StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Elsewhere, Maqsad could be a serious contender in the Nassau and it looks as if the trainer could well have a few more victories to savour this week.

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