Glorious Goodwood

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Geoff Wragg Gains Goodwood Racecourse Lifetime Achievement Award 30/07/09

Geoff Wragg took out his trainer’s licence at the age of 53 in 1983 and retired after an illustrious career at the end of 2008. He had previously spent 28 years assisting his father, Harry, who had been of the great jockeys. The pair enjoyed top-flight successes with the 1961 Derby winner Psidium and the outstanding filly On The House, who gave Harry a fantastic final season in 1982, winning the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and going on to victory at Glorious Goodwood in the Sussex Stakes three months later.

Having inherited a stable full of talent from his father, Geoff did not have to wait long to enjoy a first triumph at Goodwood as Deutschmark landed a three-year-old maiden on May 19, 1983. Goodwood, and especially Glorious Goodwood, was always a highlight for Geoff and his wife Patricia (Trish).

A superb first season was highlighted by Teenoso’s victory in the Derby and the trainer enjoyed more glory at Goodwood with Miss Beaulieu who made a successful debut in a two-year-old maiden in September. Owned by one of Wragg’s long-standing patrons, John Pearce, Miss Beaulieu returned to Goodwood the following season to triumph in the Lupe Stakes and then was a good third in the Nassau Stakes.

After being disqualified for causing interference when third in the 1987 2,000 Guineas, Most Welcome threw down a tremendous challenge to Reference Point in the Derby at Epsom Downs the following month, going down by a length and a half. He gained a deserved Pattern race success in the Group Three Select Stakes at Goodwood in October of that year.

The Sir Philip Oppenheimer-owned colt ended his three-year-old campaign with a fine second to Triptych in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket and returned to Goodwood the following year to finish third to Warning in the Sussex Stakes. Most Welcome was also fourth to Zilzal in the same race 12 months later.

Wragg celebrated big-race success at Goodwood with Ela Romana in the 1988 Nassau Stakes and the Newmarket handler scaled even greater heights with another three-year-old filly, Marling, four years later.

Successful in the Cheveley Park Stakes on her final juvenile appearance, Marling was considered unlucky by many not to have triumphed in the 1992 1,000 Guineas when she was beaten a head by Hatoof. The Sir Edmund Loder-owned filly made no mistake three weeks later in the Irish equivalent and gained a third Group One success in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Marling lined up against a host of top milers of Europe in the Sussex Stakes the following month, headed by Selkirk, the champion miler in 1991. Taking up the running nearing the final furlong, Marling was soon dwarfed on her outside by Selkirk. The pair fought out an epic duel and Pat Eddery, urging the three-year-old filly home, prevailed on Marling by a head in one of the most thrilling finishes ever witnessed on the Sussex Downs.

A superb 1992 season at Goodwood also included success with subsequent Melbourne Cup hero Jeune, an authoritative winner of the Predominate Stakes, and Little Bean, who landed the ultra-competitive Schweppes Golden Mile (now the totesport Mile).

The winners continued to flow at the course in 1993 courtesy of two precocious juveniles. Glatisant belied signs of inexperience to take the Prestige Stakes, while First Trump followed up success in the July Stakes at Newmarket with victory in the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. First Trump returned to Newmarket for his final juvenile start, confirming himself as one of the leading two-year-olds when taking the Middle Park Stakes, beating stable companion and subsequent July Cup victor Owington by a head, while Glatisant went on to produce the 2,000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand as a broodmare.

Asian Heights gained the 2001 Predominate Stakes at Goodwood by coming from last to first on only his third start and looked to have Classic prospects but had to miss the Derby because of injury.

Arcadian Heights, winner of the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the Doncaster Cup, ran at Goodwood four times and always finished in the frame. Second in the March Stakes at three, he then appeared in three consecutive Goodwood Cups, coming home fourth, third and third. The last of these runs was the best - in the 1994 Goodwood Cup when he was beaten just over a length by Tioman Island.

Wragg landed the 1995 Predominate Stakes with Pentire, who went on to victory in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on his next start. Owned by another of Wragg’s leading patrons, the Moller family, the Be My Guest colt also triumphed at the highest level in the Irish Champion Stakes later the same season and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot the following year.

The famous brown and gold colours of Mollers Racing were also carried to victory by First Island in the 1996 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Having broken his maiden tag at Goodwood the previous May, the son of Dominion progressed from handicaps to Group One glory at Goodwood with the length victory over Godolphin’s Charnwood Forest before going on to further success in the Hong Kong International Cup and the Lockinge Stakes.

Wragg did particularly well with fillies such as Balisada who finished fourth in the 1999 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

The trainer enjoyed success in the On The House Stakes, named after his father’s Sussex Stakes winner, with Swallow Flight in 2000 and the new millennium also saw Glorious Goodwood victories in the Oak Tree Stakes with the useful filly Danceabout, who had enjoyed a winning debut at the Sussex course earlier in the year, and in the King George Stakes (now the Audi Stakes) for Cassandro Go who went on to take the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot the following year.

Island House registered a first Listed success in the Festival Stakes at Goodwood in 2000 and the consistent son of Grand Lodge became a regular fixture in the 10-furlong contest, finishing a head second in the 2002 renewal before becoming the first dual winner of the race a year later. He lined up for a fourth time in 2004, when fifth behind another Goodwood specialist, Alkaadhem.

Dragon Dancer, who ran at Goodwood on two occasions, nearly gave the trainer a second Derby success in 2006 when going down by a short-head to Sir Percy in the Epsom Classic.
Wragg celebrated his 40th and final success at Goodwood on June 1, 2007, with Ivy Creek taking the Listed Hildon Stakes (now the Tapster Stakes). A half-brother to the 2005 Goodwood Cup winner Distinction, the four-year-old proved a fitting winner for his handler, bearing all the hallmarks of a typical Wragg improver and coming home in the Mollers Racing colours that had become synonymous with the trainer.

He continues to live at Abington Place in Newmarket, where he has been based since 1947. The yard is now used by trainers Mike de Kock and Jane Chapple-Hyam.

GEOFF WRAGG’S MAIN GOODWOOD WINNERS

Predominate Stakes
1992 - Jeune
1995 - Pentire
2001 - Asian Heights

Lupe Stakes
1984 - Miss Beaulieu

Festival Stakes
1997 - Germano
2000 - Island House
2003 - Island House

On The House Stakes
2000 - Swallow Flight

Tapster Stakes
2007 - Ivy Creek - last winner at Goodwood

Sussex Stakes
1992 - Marling
1996 - First Island

Audi Stakes
2000- Cassandra Go

Richmond Stakes
1993 - First Trump

Oak Tree Stakes
2001 - Mauri Moon
2000 - Danceabout

Totesport Mile
1992 - Little Bean

Nassau Stakes
1988 - Ela Romana

Prestige Stakes
1993 - Glatisant

Select Stakes
1987 - Most Welcome

(He sent out 40 winners in total at the Sussex racecourse)