An American in Sussex: Tom Durkin Samples Glorious Goodwood

After 35 years of perfect attendance at Saratoga, I decided to play hooky, and I headed over to England to goof off this summer. Being a horse racing junkie, after a few weeks of abstinence, I needed to get a fix. So off we go to the British equivalent of the Spa: Glorious Goodwood. “Glorious,” indeed.

First of all, there is a language barrier for American horseplayers to overcome. As Winston Churchill said “America and Britain are two great nations divided by a common language.”

Each Way, Nap, Forecast, Placepot, Treble, Starting Price etc. It's all a different language to me. So rather than work through an interpreter, I just bet to win.

But language aside, I found Glorious Goodwood and The Spa to be remarkably alike in many ways.

They are both traditional havens for Thoroughbred racing enjoyed primarily in August every year. Saratoga is pretty old. Folks have made it “The August Place To Be” going way back to 1863.

And Goodwood is old, too. Going way back. WAAAAAAAY back. Since the 1740s.

To borrow a term from Thomas Hardy, both places also offer a respite 'far from the madding crowds' of the big city. They are each located a few hours away from the teeming metropolitan areas of London and New York. Their host cities–Saratoga Springs and Chichester–are each charming little cities of about 25,000. And, surprise! The cost of hotel rooms triples in racing season. Dynamic pricing is an international curse.

Goodwood has a bucolic setting perched atop the rolling hills of Sussex. With the possible exception of the San Gabriels at Santa Anita, it might be the most beautiful backdrop in all of racing.

Goodwood | James Dominic

Unlike Saratoga, the place is not owned by the State. It sits overlooking the 11,000-acre estate of the 11th Duke of Richmond. Also on the property is a famous international motor car raceway and the Rolls Royce automobile factory, believe it or not. And, of course, there are sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. The 11th Duke actually writes a lovely welcome letter on the first page of the daily racing program. Cheers.

Now, make no mistake–Glorious Goodwood is pretty fancy. “Posh” as the Brits would say. Saratoga can be fancy too. But not on this level. There is no backyard picnic table crowd on track here. No tee shirts and sandals here. And these chaps know how to style. Tailored linen suits and Panama hats are de rigueur. Actually, I was sorta looking out for somebody sporting spats, but they must be out of fashion this season. So, I put on my spiffiest sport coat and Hermes tie and still felt like I was travelling in steerage.

The women here put on a fashion show that rivals any Paris runway. One after another, by the tens, by the thousands, lovely ladies arrive dressed in their pastel summer finery. Hats are basically mandatory.

Goodwood offers a lot more high-end accommodations than the Spa. There are several “enclosures” at various price levels–one more expensive than the next; food and drink usually included. A grandstand seat can be had for 28 pounds ($38). So please, let's not complain about Saratoga ticket pricing.

And like many a summer party, some drinking is involved. The preferred libations here seems to be Pimm's or Champagne. How civilized. At the Spa, my preferred drink is Coors light. How refreshing.

At the Spa, one can grab a drink at the At The Rail or The Jim Dandy and a few other smaller watering holes. Here there are a few options too; The Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar, The Annual Badge Holders Bar, the 1812 bar, the Oak Tree Lawn Bar, The Highclere Gin Pavilion, The Sussex Bar, The Pimm's and Aperol Bar, The Brixton Brewery Craft Bar, The Sip n Saddle Bar, The Sussex Roof Terrace Bar, The St-Germain Bar, The Maison Perrier Garden Bar. Get the picture? Thirsty you will not be.

And, of course, what would a garden party on steroids be without strawberries and cream served promptly at 3 p.m.?

As an announcer, I always thought Saratoga was a tough place to work. There are trees to deal with and big fields, for the most part. But at this place, not so many trees. It's just that the horses completely disappear from view for a while behind a couple of strategically placed hills. And the starts are so far away, the race callers must be using cosmic telescopes to pick up these little moving specs on the horizon. Practically, I suppose they must grab a look off TV monitors.

Bow Echo | Goodwood Racecourse

And as for field size…I used to grouse about a 12- or 14-horse field. At this place, 20-or-more-horse fields are common on a daily basis. I once had to call a 26-horse field in the Arc de Triomphe. People would ask how I could possibly do it. I had a flat answer; fiction is a legitimate art form.

But the main attraction here, just as at Saratoga, is the highest-quality racing. There are three Group 1s, six Group 2s and five Group 3s among the 37 races spread over the five days of the meeting. In fact, three of those races are Breeders' Cup Win And You're In events. (Pssssst. Bet Bow Echo if he takes the freebie trip to the BC Mile).

The Sussex excursion fully satisfied my Saratoga itch. Lovely as it was, I look forward to being back at the Spa…next year.

Ta ta for now.

   Tom Durkin was the racecaller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010 and served as announcer for the New York Racing Association for over two decades. He was the voice of the Breeders' Cup and Kentucky Derby.