Goodwood Handicap Group 1
The Goodwood Handicap is clearly the feature sprint race of the Adelaide Racing Tips Winter Carnival. It is a set weights race over 1200m and is Group 1 event with prizemoney of $1 million. It is the feature race of our Saturday Adelaide Racing Tips with Expert Adelaide Racing Tips analyst Value Victor.
Goodwood Handicap – background
The 2020 race has been renamed the “Furphy” Goodwood but its historical name is the Goodwood Handicap. The race for many years was run under handicap conditions. This led to a dilution of the talent coming to the Adelaide Autumn/Winter Racing Carnival and as such put its Group 1 Status in jeopardy. The SAJC made the decision in 2006 to change the conditions of the race from a handicap to set weights allowing the topline talent to contest the race and not be forced to carrying a very heavy weight.
Goodwood Handicap – talent has grown
The decision on reflection has clearly been the right decision with the race commanding Group 1 status. It has seen the race won by some real stars of the turf including Takeover Target (2009), Black Caviar (2012) and Black Heart Bart (2016).
Goodwood value odds for winners
That said, the race has been a roughies value race fort the winner for many years. Since the Black Caviar win in 2012, there has only been one favourite win, Black Heart Bart at $2.80 with Vega Magic second fav at $4.80. In fact only 4 favourites have won in the last 30 years. The average winning odds in recent years has been 18-1 including last years winner Despatch at 21-1 and Santa Ana Lane the year prior at a whopping 26-1.
Morphettville racecourse Goodwood barrier draw
Unlike the other Group 1 sprint run over the 1200m at Morphettville racecourse during the Adelaide Racing Tips Autumn/Winter Carnival The TAB Classic (Robert Sangster Stakes) barrier draws are vitally important in the Goodwood Handicap. The race attracts a capacity field of 20, with only 4 winners in the last 35 years drawn barrier 13 or worse.
This is a race where you can afford to spend no extra energy so being wide is a big minus. The other problem is luck in running in the straight when strong momentum is needed its no surprise that barriers 7,8 and 9 have supplied more than 30% of the winners in the last 35 years. From this draw they can work into a 1 wide position giving them the best chance.
Goodwood lead up races – tough to pick
The positioning of the Goodwood Handicap sees sprinters from right around the Country contesting the race. This is emphasised that in the last decade there have been winners come out of 9 separate lead up races in general making it a nightmare for punters to weigh up the form. This is even further emphasized with 5 of the last 10 winners starting at double figure odds , 3 of which were 30-1 or bigger.
The Goodwood Handicap is a true Group 1 sprint that gains plenty of national interest with horses from around Australia all supplying runners in recent years.
