On social media and internet forums, racecourses stand accused of encouraging a booze culture on their big days
Unless or until some of the 50 or so individuals who were involved in a sickening brawl at Goodwood on Saturday are identified and, hopefully, charged as a result, it is impossible to say with any certainty how an afternoon at what is possibly Britain’s most serenely beautiful track suddenly descended into violence. But there seems little doubt that alcohol was a significant factor as events spiralled out of control, along with the unusually hot weather. Several reports of chants between two large groups in a bar beforehand suggest that there may be been a football rivalry involved as well.
There is no excuse for such deliberate, wholesale violence, nor any obvious reason why the thug seen kicking a motionless man in the head in a video that circulated widely on social media should not be charged with attempted murder if, or hopefully when, he is identified. That part of the investigation is in the hands of the police while Goodwood – and any other track with a big weekend fixture over the next few months – will now examine what can be done to prevent any similar scenes in the future.
Related: Goodwood hopeful of arrests after handing police CCTV of 50-person brawl
Worcester
1.40 Brinestine 2.10 Soulsaver 2.45 Exmoor Mist 3.20 Rock Of Leon
3.55 Peggies Venture 4.25 Blackdown Hills 4.55 Notnow Seamus
5.25 Catchin Time
Chester
1.50 Amomentofmadness (nb) 2.25 Rastrelli 3.00 Vale Of Kent (nap) 3.35 Idaho 4.05 Ynys Mon 4.35 Volevo Lui 5.05 Indian Chief
Huntingdon
2.00 Cosmic King 2.35 Haul Away 3.10 Go West Young Man 3.45 Mab Dab 4.15 Shining Romeo 4.45 Capitoul 5.15 Thomas Darby
Wincanton
5.20 Ringa Ding Ding 5.50 Secret Door 6.20 Tikkinthebox 6.50 Orbasa
7.20 Schnabel 7.50 King Vince 8.20 Let's Be Happy
Chelmsford
6.10 Glendevon 6.40 Qaffaal 7.10 No More Thrills 7.40 Poet's Prince
8.10 Weekender 8.40 Elgin 9.10 Zamjar