Bonhomie abounds as the smiles become permanent features

It wouldn't be stretching a truth to say racegoers at Goodwood yesterday were willing volunteers in a mass hypnosis. Every one of them was bewitched by a scene so sedate that beaming smiles were permanent features.

This was opening day on the Sussex Downs and it was a privilege to be there.

There is something about the place that defies precise description. It is the spa of parties. For racegoers, the legacy of any excess will never be so gently bestowed. For horsemen, the anguish of getting beaten will never be so philosophically received. All you have to do is look in any given direction and the vista will soothe the soul.