The final field for Saturday's $1 Million Group 1 Darley Goodwood was released this morning and a sensational line-up has assembled for South Australia's finest race.
Some of Australia’s greatest horses have won the Group 1 Goodwood including Takeover Target in 2009 and Black Caviar in 2012. If Black Heart Bart can win on Saturday, he may well be mentioned in the same echelon as those champions in the future but history will be well and truly against him on Saturday. No horse has won consecutive Goodwood's in over 100 years and no horse has won the Goodwood first up from a spell in seven years since Velocitea in 2010. In good news for Bart, he will jump from barrier two, the same barrier he jumped from last year to collect his first Group 1 title.
Regardless of history, the Darren Weir trained galloper will line up as the $3.30 favourite with UBET and is sure to have a swag of support behind him on Saturday.
The second favourite in the race, Vega Magic will also be attempting to win the Goodwood first up after moving over from Western Australia to Melbourne to be trained by David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig. He won two Group 3 races in Perth towards the end of last year and finished seventh but only 1.5 lengths behind Takedown in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes.
Another Western Australian visitor will be the Simon Miller trained First Among Equals who won his last start in the Listed Northam Stakes and was fourth in last year's Winterbottom. He will gain the services of Luke Nolen who won the 2012 Goodwood on Black Caviar.
Third favourite in the market is the Group 1 UBET Classic winner Secret Agenda who will aiming to replicate the feats of Platelet and Black Caviar as mares to complete the Sangster/Goodwood double. Damien Oliver sticks with Secret Agenda and will jump from barrier five in between the two Hayes' & Dabernig runners in Vega Magic and Faatinah.
Peter Gelagotis will have two runners in the race with $9.50 chance Malaguerra and $18 chance Illustrious Lad. Malaguerra won last year's Group 1 Darley Classic at Flemington and was last seen at Randwick in April when he ran seventh behind Chautauqua in the Group 1 T.J Smith Stakes. Illustrious Lad has had a freshen up since running second behind Viddora in the Group 3 Irwin Stakes at Morphettville in April.
The Tony McEvoy trained Hey Doc leads the local hopes at $15 after his Group 1 Australian Guineas win in March, while the UBET Classic runner-up Viddora is rated a $21 chance after her fast finishing effort in the state's first $1 million Group 1 race earlier in the Carnival. There are four other local chances in the final field along with two emergencies who will be hoping to cause an upset and produce the first local winner since the David Jolly trained Zip Zip Aray in 2002.
Previous Goodwood Winners
| Year | Horse | Starting Price | Last Run | Preparation |
| 2016 | Black Heart Bart | $2.80F | 2nd Randwick Group 1 All Aged Stakes 1400m | 4th Up |
| 2015 | Flamberge | $20.90 | 12th Rosehill Group 1 Galaxy 1100m | 4th Up |
| 2014 | Smokin' Joey | $40.30 | 6th Caulfield Group 3 Victoria HCP 1400m | 5th Up |
| 2013 | Platelet | $9.40 | 1st Morphettville Group 1 Sangster 1200m | 4th Up |
| 2012 | Black Caviar | $1F | 1st Morphettville Group 1 Sangster 1200m | 2nd Up |
Group 1 Darley Goodwood Market
Black Heart Bart - $3.30
Vega Magic - $6
Secret Agenda - $9
Malaguerra - $9.50
Hey Doc - $15
First Among Equals - $17
Others - $18+
