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As often at Goodwood, a future star emerged. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and ridden with almost startling confidence by Silvestre de Sousa, the two-year-old Flotus looked the real thing when going through the gears impressively on the soft ground to win the six-furlong maiden and become a 5-1 favourite for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot. Any Americans present would have taken the 7-4: Flotus stands, of course, for First Lady of the United States. There was a heart-warmer in the ten-furlong Listed race for Ed Walker as his eight-year-old stable hero Stormy Antarctic saw off fellow veteran Desert Encounter. The utterly genuine Stormy Antarctic has won races in France, Germany and Italy as well as competing in Hong Kong and Canada, but this was remarkably his first victory in Britain since taking the Craven Stakes in 2016. Unusually, though, there was no winner on the day for Goodwood specialist Mark Johnston whose Bravado finished last in the 7f handicap despite his odds tumbling temptingly during the day.
At Goodwood, where the dress-code guide encourages ‘ladies and gents’ to dress up and urges racegoers ‘to wear what makes them feel elegant’, there are normally two-legged sights to enjoy too. I do recall a brave miniskirt or two, a green satin body bandage and a couple of jack-the-lads in waistcoats with no jackets. There was, too, a lady who from a distance appeared to be wearing a dress beside which a tomato ketchup bottle had recently exploded. Goodwood did its best in every way and could do nothing about the cruel weather: one of those infuriating days when no sooner had you unbuttoned your mac than the heavens reopened with another blast and you had to dash for cover. On a members-only day, though, the numbers circulating around the Sussex course’s spacious facilities felt rather like the last few Tic Tacs rattling around in the box. Soon there was no rattle, just a soggy trudge from parade ring to grandstand and vice versa. For fashionistas and serious racegoers alike I can only say roll on the next stage of lockdown-unwinding.
When, in my political correspondent days, a redistribution of parliamentary constituencies resulted in a pompously objectionable Tory MP having to search for a new seat and surprisingly securing one, his previous agent, a dour Scot, inquired quietly what majority his former charge was inheriting. On being told it was 12,000, he intoned: ‘It will nae be enough.’ Sadly the same applies to the current lockdown relaxation on racecourses.
With racing on too at Haydock, York and Newmarket on Saturday, few trainers were at Goodwood. There was little jumping up and down in rain-soaked shoes and if there were shouts of encouragement I am even deafer than Mrs Oakley alleges. Standing just feet away from the returning winners — as often as not on Saturday with the pocket rocket Silvestre de Sousa jumping off them — we were frequently the only two people I could hear clapping. Well done, Goodwood, but to generate the proper buzz and exert its unique appeal racing badly needs the full relaxation of lockdown restrictions we are promised next month.
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