A huge field will head to the 6f start for the 2026 Stewards’ Cup, which is the feature race on the final day of Glorious Goodwood. Steve Chambers previews the competitive handicap and takes a look at the runners and odds, before picking out his 1-2-3 for the event.
2026 Stewards’ Cup Runners
Richard Spencer’s Two Tribes stormed to victory in this race 12 months ago and he’s back to try and retain his 6f crown. An impressive two-and-a-half length winner of the event in 2025, the five-year-old is now 7lbs higher, so has it all to do. However, he was second in a competitive Ascot handicap last time out, so heads to Goodwood in form. Fourth in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot, Far Above Dream has been hugely progressive this season and has the capabilities of going close. Just ahead of him in the Wokingham, Far Above Dream’s stablemate Soldier’s Tree lines up here off top weight. Third in Group 3 company at Newbury, he’s another for the Owen team that has to be respected.
Sondad, Tuca Salamanca and Dubai Bling are three prominent horses in the betting, and the triumvirate all tasted victory last time out, so head into the Stewards’ Cup in fine form. Toca Madera was fourth earlier in the week in a race that saw Run Boy Run disappoint. But, that pair are making a quick turnaround and have to be considered in such a wide open contest.
Stratusine won the Sky Bet Dash at York last weekend, so will have to carry a 6lbs penalty in this contest. Hugo Palmer’s charge will need to build on that effort, but adds more depth. The likes of 2024 winner Get It, Completely Random and Mitbaahy are just another trio of runners that make it an enthralling renewal.
2026 Stewards’ Cup Racecard
15:35 Goodwood
Good To FirmCoral Stewards’ Cup (Heritage Handicap)
- Flat Turf
- Turf
- 0m 6f 0y
- Class 2
- 27 runners
- Win time: 1m 9s
- First Prize: £128,850
- 2nd: £60,425
- 3rd: £30,225
- 4th: £15,100
- 5th: £7,550
- 6th: £3,775
16/1 (Won)
- Win: £20.30
- Place: £4.70
raced far side, in touch with leaders, headway and led narrowly over 1f out, soon ridden and edged right, kept on, gamely, 1st of 11 in group
25/1
- Place: £6.60
raced far side, prominent, briefly led over 1f out, kept on final 110yds, just held, 2nd of 11 in group
14/1
- Place: £4.50
dwelt start, raced near side, towards rear, headway over 1f out, led group and pressed far side leaders inside final 110yds, just held, 1st of 11 in group
7/1
- Place: £2.80
raced far side, in rear, ridden and headway over 1f out, pressed leaders inside final 110yds, kept on, 3rd of 11 in group
25/1
raced near side, prominent, not clear run repeatedly from 2f out, in the clear when hit on nose by rival's whip inside final furlong, ran on, did well in the circumstances, 2nd of 11 in group
6/1
raced near side, in touch with leaders, headway and led group over 1f out, headed in group and no extra inside final 110yds, 3rd of 11 in group
9/1
raced near side, midfield, headway and hung right over 1f out, no extra inside final 110yds, 4th of 11 in group
33/1
raced far side, in touch with leaders, steady headway when short of room and switched right over 1f out, kept on final 110yds, 4th of 11 in group
33/1
taken down early, stumbled start, raced centre, in touch with leaders, ridden over 1f out, no extra final 110yds, 1st of 2 in group (jockey said gelding stumbled leaving the starting stalls)
33/1
dwelt start, ducked left start, in rear, headway over 1f out, kept on final 110yds, not pace to challenge, 5th of 11 in group
40/1
taken down early, dwelt start, raced far side, in rear, headway over 1f out, no extra inside final 110yds, 6th of 11 in group
13/2
towards near side, prominent, ridden 2f out, weakened final 110yds, 1st of 3 in group
12/1
taken down early, took keen hold, raced far side, pressed leader, lost second over 1f out, weakened final 110yds, 7th of 11 in group
14/1
taken down early, towards near side, in touch with leaders, headway over 2f out, edged left and weakened inside final furlong, 2nd of 3 in group
22/1
taken down early, raced near side, pressed leader, ridden over 1f out, weakened final 110yds, 5th of 11 in group
20/1
raced near side, in rear, ridden over 1f out, headway final 110yds, nearest finish, 6th of 11 in group
50/1
raced near side, led group, headed in group over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, 7th of 11 in group
80/1
raced far side, led group, headed in group over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, 8th of 11 in group
66/1
lost many lengths start, raced near side, in rear, some headway final 110yds, never dangerous, 8th of 11 in group (jockey said gelding was slowly away)
50/1
dwelt start, raced near side, soon in touch with leaders, ridden and weakening when hung right over 1f out, 9th of 11 in group (jockey said gelding hung right-handed)
33/1
raced centre, in touch with leaders, ridden and weakened over 1f out, 2nd of 2 in group
40/1
raced far side, midfield, ridden and weakened over 1f out, 9th of 11 in group
40/1
raced near side, in rear, brief headway and hung badly right over 1f out, soon weakened, 10th of 11 in group
33/1
raced near side, towards rear throughout, 11th of 11 in group
18/1
raced far side, in rear, brief headway over 2f out, weakened over 1f out, 10th of 11 in group (jockey said gelding stopped quickly)
66/1
dwelt start, raced far side, soon midfield, weakened 2f out, 11th of 11 in group
11/2
stumbled start, towards near side, always behind, eased when no chance inside final furlong, 3rd of 3 in group (jockey said gelding stumbled badly leaving the starting stalls)
Non-runners
Candy
+o+e Betting Returns
| Payout | |
|---|---|
| Exacta | £620.80 |
| Straight Forecast | £397.04 |
| Tricast | £5760.08 |
| Trifecta | £14567.90 |
Selections
D Express:
Berkshire WhisperDaily Mail:
Soldier’s TreeDaily Mirror:
SondadDaily Record:
Two TribesThe Times:
Soldier’s TreeStewards’ Cup Trends
We take a look at the key trends to be aware of ahead of the Stewards’ Cup
- 2 of the last 10 winners have been favourite
- Only 1 three-year-old has won in last 10 years
- 5 of the last 10 winners were priced 20/1 or bigger
- 8 of the last 10 winners have come from stall 15 or higher
2026 Stewards’ Cup Tips
A former winner of the Ayr Gold Cup over six furlongs, Run Boy Run could make no real challenge for glory earlier in the week at Goodwood when dropped to five furlongs. Richard Spencer’s charge makes a quick turnaround here and with the return to six sure to see him at his best, if he can recapture last season’s form then he could be a lively outsider. Stratusine was impressive at York last week and can chase him home, whilst Completely Random can grab third, if replicating his Royal Ascot second in the Wokingham.
FAQ
When and where is the Stewards’ Cup run?
The Stewards’ Cup will take place at Goodwood racecourse on Saturday 1st August, 2026 at 3.35pm.
How can I watch the Stewards’ Cup on Saturday?
The Stewards’ Cup is live on ITV at 3.35pm on Saturday afternoon.
When were the Stewards’ Cup tips published?
The tips for the Stewards’ Cup were published at 11.00am on Friday 31st July.
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