Frankel himself struggled to preserve the dignity of Glorious Goodwood last year, when obliged to compete with the London Olympics. Today the fixture’s claims as the most charming ritual of the British Turf are threatened with dilution only by the weather forecast, which has rather too equivocal a look for the liking of either punters or aesthetes. The latter most cherish the swaying backdrop of cornfields and woodland when bathed in sunlight; while the former have more practical distaste for rain clouds.
