Next to Royal Ascot, the Glorious Goodwood Festival is the standout multi-day meeting of the summer months. Officially known as the Qatar Goodwood Festival, this five-day feast of flat entertainment takes place in late July/early August each year. Running from Tuesday through to Saturday, the fixture crams in 13 Group class contests, including a trio of Group 1 events.
No Group 1s on the opening Tuesday, but we have one of the most targeted 7f events of the season as a high-class field lineup for the Group 2 Lennox Stakes. First added to the Glorious Goodwood menu in 2000, the event quickly became one of the biggest betting heats of the meeting. So, what does it take to land this race? Here, we look back at the first 24 editions and pick out a selection of stats and trends which may assist in identifying the most likely contenders.
Age of Winner
Open to runners aged three and older, the winners have been spread relatively evenly between the three, four and five-year-olds. Those older than five haven’t fared so well. Shock winner Breton Rock became the oldest winner in the short history of the race when coming home in front at seven years of age in 2017. Interestingly, the 2014-2023 period saw a strong swing away from the Classic generation, with only one three-year-old landing the prize over those ten years.
Top Trainers
It’s not a particularly strong race for fans of trainer trends, with no handler claiming more than two of the first 24 editions. However, the eagle-eyed may have spotted that this race is a novelty for a British Group Class contest. As of 2023, the Lennox Stakes is yet to be claimed by an Irish trainer, in other words, it’s one of the few significant races Aidan O’Brien hasn’t won.
Rating of Winner
The average rating of the winner has remained pretty steady over time – climbing by only one pound across the first 24 editions. The Lennox Stakes held Group 3 status between 2000 and 2002, during which time the average rating of the winner sat at 111.67. Since gaining Group 2 status in 2003, the average is 113.62. Toormore (2015) and Kinross (2023) are the joint highest-rated winners over this period, with Fath (2001) and Sandrine (2022) the joint lowest.
Finishing Position Last Time Out
Only six of 24 (25%) of Lennox Stakes winners also scored on their most recent outing. However, the majority arrived on the back of a positive performance – 15 of 24 (62.50%) having finished in the first three and 20 of 24 (83.33%) in the first four.
Highest Grade Won
Since 2000, four winners were registering a first career Group win when bagging this event. However, most had already proven themselves in Group company. Eight of the 10 winners who had previously scored at Group 3 level came after the race gained Group 2 status in 2003 and, as such, were producing a career-best effort when coming home in front. Lord Shanakill (2010), Toormore (2015) and Kinross (2023) had all previously scored in Group 1 company.
Highest Grade Competed
Only two Lennox Stakes winners had previously won at the highest level. However, 22 of 24 (91.67%) had at least attempted to land a Group 1 contest – including the two winners who had scored at no higher than Class 2 level before taking this. All 24 winners had previously competed at Group 2 level or higher.
Days Since Last Run
It is no real surprise to see the 40-49 day window leading the way, as this is the gap between Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood. Seven of the eight winners in the 40-49 day bracket ran at Royal Ascot: three in the Jersey Stakes, two in the Queen Anne Stakes, one in the St James’s Palace Stakes, and one in the Windsor Forest Stakes. Alongside the Jersey Stakes, the July Cup was the most informative trial, with three winners emerging from that six-furlong event at Newmarket.
Fate of the Favourite
Nine winning favourites or joint-favourites in 24 editions represent a solid strike rate of 37.50% – comparing favourably with a percentage of close to 30% across all races. That percentage has been enough to take jolly backers into the black, but not by much – a £1 level stakes bet returning a profit of 29p.
Overall, 20 winners returned a single-figure SP, and three were priced between 12/1 and 16/1. The biggest surprise came courtesy of Breton Rock in 2017, with the David Simcock runner storming home to score by ½l at odds of 50/1.
Other Stats
- 21 of 24 winners (87.50%) had previously won over seven furlongs or further.
- Only 8 of 24 (33%) had previously scored at Goodwood.
- Five was the luckiest draw over this period, with five winners emerging that stall.
- Two-time winners, Eddie Ahern, Frankie Dettori, Gerald Mosse, Kerrin McEvoy, Richard Hughes, and Tom Queally, were the only riders with more than one success.
- As of 2023, three horses have won the Lennox Stakes on two occasions: Nayyir (2002, 2003), Sir Dancealot (2018, 2019), and Kinross (2021, 2023).
- Godolphin led the way among the owners with five winners carrying the famous blue silks.
- Dutch Art was the only stallion to sire two different winners – Garswood (2013) and Dutch Connection (2016).
