Glorious Goodwood 2026, Day Four: Shayem Shocks Talk of New York

Glorious Goodwood reached its fourth day on Friday, and the West Sussex festival served up exactly the kind of racing that keeps punters coming back: a headline upset, a string of well-backed winners and a bookmakers' ring left counting the cost.

The talking point was the Thoroughbred Stakes, where Shayem produced a shock to beat the well-fancied Talk of New York. Returned at 9.95 on the Tote, Shayem was far from the popular choice, and the result knocked a hole in plenty of ante-post plans built around the beaten favourite.

Wathnan Racing keep rolling

If one name defined the week, it was Wathnan Racing. The powerful operation landed its fourth winner of the festival when 16-1 shot Archivist stormed home in the Golden Mile, one of the meeting's most competitive handicaps. Four winners in a single Goodwood week is a haul most owners would take in a season, and it underlined how deep the yard's strength in numbers has become.

A festival built for drama

Held over five days from Tuesday to Saturday, Glorious Goodwood is one of the highlights of the British flat season, and its rolling downland course rewards horses that stay and jockeys who judge the pace. Friday's card built towards the King George Qatar Stakes, a Group Two contest that regularly attracts smart middle-distance types.

Big-priced winners and beaten favourites are part of the fabric of a festival like this, and the reports of a bruising day for the bookmakers tell their own story. With one day still to run, Goodwood 2026 has already delivered its share of surprises, and the closing card on Saturday will decide who leaves the Sussex meeting on top.