The 2014 Goodwood Handicap is one of the most exciting Group 1 feature races in Australian horseracing, known lovingly by fans as simply “the Goodwood”. This annual event is scheduled this year for Saturday, May 10 at the renowned Morphettville Racecourse, and is the headlining race in Adelaide’s annual autumn racing carnival, ending a run of popular races in the series such as the SA Derby, the Robert Sangster Stakes and the Australasian Oaks. Wagering on the Goodwood is a popular pastime for sports enthusiasts. If you’re hoping to place a few bets this autumn, here’s what you need to know about the Goodwood Handicap 2014.
A Comprehensive History of the Goodwood Handicap Race
The Goodwood is a race with a rich South Australian history. Notable horse D.O.D. won the first run 1881, when the race was run over six furlongs. That year, the dividend for D.O.D. was $1672 – which would be worth over forty thousand dollars today. When Australia converted to the metric system in 1973, the distance changed to 1200 metres. The Goodwood was a principal race until 1980, when the race was given Group 1 race status. It wasn’t until 2007 that the South Australian Jockey Club made the race a set weight plus penalties race, forcing organizers to rename the event “the Goodwood”, though the original name is still widely used. Before the changes installed by the SAJC, the Goodwood was run under handicap conditions. There are five years during which the Goodwood race was not won due to international concerns, those years being 1886, 1887, 1888, 1942 and 1943. The Goodwood has featured some of the best sprinters, especially in recent years, as the recently retired Black Caviar won the race in 2012, which would prove to be his twenty first race during his legendary undefeated streak of 25 wins. Other previous Goodwood winners include Sword, who won in 1996, Bomber Bill in 2003, and Takeover Target in 2009. Last year’s winner Platelet managed to run down Conservatorium and Altar, who were both ahead after the initial straight, to claim victory.
How Past Favourites Have Fared in the Goodwood
The Goodwood proves to be one of the toughest races to predict in the Adelaide autumn carnival, due to the mixed success of past favourites. In the past 10 Goodwood races, only two of the chosen favourites managed to secure a victory for themselves and for the punters who chose to wager in favour of the listed leaders. Four of those 10 favourites failed to even place. To put this in context, since 1983 the appointed favourites in the Goodwood won only five times, though the five who won are some of the best sprinters Goodwood attendees have seen, including Black Caviar, Takeover Target, Keeper, Marstic and Daring Jon. Another factor that complicates wagering on Goodwood sprinters is the fact that nine of the last 10 winners of the Goodwood ran in different races leading up the event, and three of those nine sprinters didn’t even manage to place in the Goodwood. The sex of past winners is also of note, as the last four winners of the Goodwood consist of three mares and one filly. The odds given to the participants of the Goodwood also seem deceptive in terms of picking a winner, as four of the last 10 victors at the Goodwood won the race at double figure odds, and three of those winners were listed at 30 to 1 odds.
The Details of This Year’s Race, Information About the Track and its Barriers
The Goodwood is a 1200 metre sprint, open to horses of both sexes, and is worth a total of $350,000 in prize money. The Morphettville Racecourse begins in a chute, with the field of sprinters only vying for the lead at the bend before the home straight, which measures approximately 350 metres. This means all participants have enough time and space to make up ground and vie for the prize. The way this straight levels the playing field was made evident by the run of the 1995 winner Centisle, who began the race in barrier 20 with 20 other sprinters and won, despite the odds against her. The eighth gate at the Goodwood has sprung the most winners, eight in total, including recent Australian horseracing hall of fame member Black Caviar.
The Goodwood Handicap 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, and if you have the chance to visit the Morphettville Racecourse to take in all of the race day festivities, you should do your best to attend and cheer on your favourite sprinter. However, before you place your bet, be sure to study the competitors. This prestigious event’s past is a long and complicated one, and you’re going to need all the help you can get to pick a big winner at this year’s event.
