What have we learned about the draw at Goodwood this week and how will it impact the races on Thursday?

Ground conditions are officially soft at Goodwood on Thursday following 4.4mm of rain on Wednesday. With jockeys charting a new course down the straight, much of the action over the first two days took place near what has become the favoured stands' side rail. The question for punters now is: where do you want to be drawn for day three of the Qatar Goodwood Festival?

Who won on Wednesday?

The stands' side rail at Goodwood threw up some big-priced winners on Wednesday.

The opening 1m4f handicap was taken apart by The Goat, who came out of stall five and bagged the rail under Jason Watson. He went on to win by 12 lengths at odds of 25-1. The Oak Tree Stakes was won by Magical Sunset, drawn 14, who shattered a trend that had seen no horse drawn wider than stall ten take the Group 3 prize in 26 attempts.

On the straight sprint track, Big Evs also made use of his draw in stall eight to claim the rail and win the Molecomb under an astute ride from Jason Hart. That followed wins on Tuesday over 5f for Lord Riddiford (drawn 15 of 15) and Mansa Musa (12 of 14), and Executive Decision (nine of 13) over 6f.

Flora Of Bermuda bucked the trend to win from the worst of the draw in stall two, but needed every bit of her early speed to secure a prominent early position. By the time she hit the front a furlong and a half out, Oisin Murphy had manoeuvred her on to the rail as well.

It's been a wet week at Glorious Goodwood, but how will the track ride today?Credit: Edward Whitaker

Where do you want to be drawn on Thursday?

As with any race over a straight course, a high draw will only be helpful if the riders deem the stands' side rail to still have the advantage.

The opening race of the day is a 1m2f handicap (1.50) and should throw up the first clue. Should riders swing wide into the straight and come stands' side again, focus on runners drawn high in the sprints such as the Richmond Stakes (2.25) and the concluding 5f handicap (5.55), both run over the straight course.

Sketch may look to bounce out and make all the running in the Richmond from his draw in stall nine and Holkham Bay is likely to attempt similar tactics from the same berth in the last race of the day.

But the races due to be run over trips in excess of six furlongs may favour runners drawn low as there is a fresh strip of ground on the top bend, while the cutaway has been moved from two furlongs out to three and a half furlongs out. Blue Rose Cen may have the advantage in that regard when runners go to post for the Group 1 Nassau Stakes. She will break from stall one.

History lesson: learning from what happened in 2017

In 2017 Here Comes When won the Sussex Stakes on extremely soft ground. Throughout the course of that day, runners enjoyed success against the stands' side rail.

The following day, on ground similar here, every race was won by horses who stuck to the far rail. That rail has a strip of fresh ground on Thursday and it may prove that the far side is the place you want to be in the races beyond 6f.

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