The Betfred Mile is one of the top handicaps of the season, which is not surprising given its £125,000 value, and remains one of the richest handicaps in Europe.
Waajib was a fine winner of the inaugural running – called the Schweppes Golden Mile – as he went on to win the Group Two Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot the following year.
Safawan stepped up from his 1989 win to take the Group Two Lockinge Stakes in 1990, while Fly To The Stars won at Goodwood in 1997 and landed the Lockinge – by then a Group One – in 1999.
William Hill took over the sponsorship in 1998, while totesport provided backing from 2005 to 2011, with Betfred
taking over in 2012.
Ancient World became a notable winner in 2004 as he was the first favourite to win the race at 9–2. The four-year-old, owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, enhanced the contest’s reputation with a Group Three victory at Windsor followed by a deserved triumph in the Group One Premio Vittorio Di Capua in Italy that autumn.
The second market leader to win was 5–2 chance Third Set who scored by three lengths in 2007. Fifteen Love had already captured the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot in June, 2008, and clinched a major handicap
double when winning the Betfred Mile, to give trainer Roger Charlton victory in successive years.
Mark Johnston emulated that feat as he saddled back-to-back winners with Laa Rayb (2009) and subsequent Group Three victor Sea Lord (2010). Johnston is by far the most successful trainer in the Betfred Mile’s short history with four victories, having also been successful in 1997 with Fly To The Stars and in 2001 with Riberac whose winning margin of three and a half lengths is the most decisive seen in the 25 runnings.
Hayley Turner, Britain’s most successful female jockey ever, made all on the Marcus Tregoning-trained Boom And Bust to gain her first Glorious Goodwood success.
There was a 66–1 winner in 1996 when Moscow Mist got home by a short-head and the competitiveness of the race is demonstrated by the fact that 15 runnings have been decided by a neck or less. The age profile of the winners has been 3yo – 6; 4yo – 9; 5yo – 9 and 6yo – 1.
GUIDE TO GLORIOUS GOODWOOD 2012 – CLICK HERE
Allison is the Publisher of Eclipse Magazine. She loves going to the Races and is learning to bet (despite being officially the worst bettor in the History of the Universe), there’s a lot more to learn…
