Real Punters Play Here: The Goodwood

Posted on May 8, 2026May 8, 2026 | Posted by TABtouch

Brad Bishop looks at some of the stats of interest around The Goodwood, brought to you by TABtouch.

The outside barrier probably isn’t the one Tycoon Star’s connections would have selected for The Goodwood given the choice, but they might have consoled themselves by a recent topic of conversation in the lead-up to South Australia’s other Group 1 sprint.

A narrative in the lead-up to the Robert Sangster Stakes on Anzac Day was the fact 14 of the previous 21 were won by horses drawn gate 10 or wider, including eight of the past nine.

The Goodwood, which is on this Saturday, is run over the same 1200-metre course at Morphettville as the Sangster Stakes.

The bad news for Tycoon Star, a $7.50 chance with TABtouch, is The Goodwood barrier stats are in contrast to the Sangster Stakes.

Lombardo (2022) won from 18 and Royal Merchant (2023) 14, but they are the only horses to win from a double-digit gate in the past decade and among only four to do it since The Goodwood changed from a handicap to a set-weights-and-penalties event in 2009.

Nine of the 17 winners since 2009 that time have started from gates 1-6.

Meridius (one), Talkanco (two), Enriched (three), Desert Lightning (four), Rey Magnerio (five) and Extragalactic (six) are those drawn gates one to six this year.

Extragalactic finished runner-up to Tycoon Star in the Tobin Bronze Stakes on April 25, the Group 2 race that has produced the past two three-year-olds to win it.

Royal Merchant completed the Tobin Bronze Stakes/Goodwood double in 2023, something Reserve Bank emulated last year and Tycoon Star will look to achieve this year.

They are among 34 three-year-olds to have won The Goodwood, but only one other has won since going to SWP, that being filly Lone Rock in 2011.

She came off a third placing at Caulfield and The Goodwood as a SWP event has been a race for those who filled a trifecta slot at their final lead-up with Smokin’ Joey and Flamberge the only winners in that time who came off an unplaced run.

Vega Magic won it first-up from a spell, but he was a winner of his previous start, one of eight last-start winners to get the money.

Tycoon Star is one of only three last-start winners in this year’s The Goodwood, joined by John Hawkes Stakes winner Grand Larceny and Hareeba Stakes winner Recon.

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