Take the luxurious, historic British Pullman train for a sporting and social event to remember—a five-star rail journey from London to the ‘Glorious Goodwood’ Festival Race Meeting at the family seat of the Duke of Richmond, to be part of one of English racing’s great occasions, complete with Champagne, fine wining and dining: fully booked and event concluded

‘Glorious Goodwood’ has been part of the British social calendar since 1814. Set on the Sussex Downs, family seat of the Dukes of Richmond, with panoramic views across the Solent, Goodwood epitomises the English summer, offering the very best horseracing in Europe, from one of the world’s most scenic racecourses, viewed in a highly social atmosphere—what King Edward VII famously described as ‘a garden party with racing tacked on’. The quality of racing makes the Goodwood Festival more, much more, than this; but we understand the sentiment: Goodwood is glorious indeed, an unmissable occasion.

For a special way to enjoy the Goodwood Festival, the highlight of midsummer in the British Flat racing season, we are delighted to invite our Members to a unique and utterly engaging celebratory experience—taking the luxurious, historic British Pullman train from London Victoria to the magnificent 12,000-acre Goodwood estate for the finale of this great meeting. In this day-long event there will be time to relax and enjoy the full atmosphere, firstly of travelling on board this iconic train from the Golden Age of rail travel, with wining and dining as if in the finest London restaurant, before enjoying the pleasure of being there in person to see these supreme equine athletes and expert jockeys, in an unsurpassed setting and all the facets that go to making the Glorious Goodwood race meeting so special.

Expect luxury, history, fine food and wine and glorious views of the Sussex landscape as backdrop to this unforgettable day, travelling through the English summer countryside from London Victoria station. Originally conceived as ‘Palaces on Wheels’ by George Mortimer Pullman, each lavishly appointed carriage is an original 1920s and ’30s masterpiece from the golden age of rail travel. Lovingly restored with breathtaking attention to detail, each car is a symphony of intricate marquetry, inlaid mosaic floors, sparkling crystal and beautiful Art Deco design.

We shall be travelling in style in beautifully restored original named 1920s carriages, all of them with their own tales of history and romance: ‘Audrey’, regularly used by the Royal Family, carried HM Queen Elizabeth II, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and HM The Queen Mother to review the Fleet in 1953; ‘Phoenix’ was the Queen Mother’s favourite; and ‘Perseus’ formed part of the funeral train for Sir Winston Churchill.

Their exquisite design and workmanship is legendary. Art Deco lamps cast a soft glow over polished brass and gleaming mahogany, while plump armchairs provide a supremely comfortable experience. The British Pullman offers passengers the chance to step back in time and experience luxury train travel as it was—and should be still. With its original, fully restored 1920s Art Deco carriages and exceptional service delivered by liveried stewards, the train evokes an iconic age of travel, when travellers were elegantly dressed and had the time to relax and enjoy their journey. This will be our pleasure too on this special day.

A comfortable armchair awaits us at a pristine table set with glittering silver and fine china, with our prime personal view of the English summer as it slips by our window. A sparkling Bellini cocktail will be served to welcome us, and toast the day, followed by a delicious brunch, enjoyed in leisurely fashion as the train makes its way towards Chichester. Here our private coach awaits to take us on to to Goodwood Racecourse, where a 10-minute stroll leads to our destination, Goodwood Racecourse’s famous Richmond Enclosure. In former days nearby Singleton Station was most often used by Royal and other racegoers for Goodwood—the British Pullman would have been a regular at Singleton—but sad to say the station was closed, and this is no longer possible.

At Goodwood Racecourse, however, tradition flourishes, and the Richmond Enclosure remains a byword for Goodwood style. This, the premier enclosure, offers the best views of the racecourse and the winning post, access to the Parade Ring, where you can observe the horses close-up before the race, as well as stylish bars and a glamorous buzz. Once inside the Enclosure, we can soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the afternoon’s racing and survey the scene at leisure. Ever since King Edward VII relaxed the dress code in the 19th century, Goodwood has enjoyed a carefree holiday feel. Goodwood still embraces quintessentially British style—but in a relaxed manner.

In the Richmond Enclosure, gentlemen wear jacket and tie—linen suits and Panama hats for preference. For the ladies, it’s all about the garden party atmosphere. A floaty or floral dress, an elegant top and trouser or skirt combination suitable for England in summer are the best options—and as one might expect, Goodwood recommend we leave our stiletto heels at home as the uneven ground can be tricky to walk on. And of course we shall all want to keep up the Goodwood tradition of taking a walk up Trundle Hill for the picture-perfect view of the racecourse and the rolling hills beyond!

The date is Saturday, August 5—Stewards Cup Day, a fitting finale with an almost end-of-term party atmosphere. The Coral Stewards’ Cup, a spectacular race, takes centre stage. Previous winners of this iconic cavalry charge down Goodwood’s home straight include the Ian Balding trained Lochsong, Dancing Star and 2019’s winner Khaadem. This amazing race, and the rest of the Saturday card, will all go to making this a memorable day.

After the last race we shall make our way back to the coach at 17.55 for the ride back to Chichester Station, where our British Pullman is waiting. Our welcoming stewards will be lining up to serve chilled glasses of Champagne as we board the train and settle back into our seats to relax again after the day’s exertions. Soon our onboard chefs will serve a delectable three-course seasonal dinner, accompanied by our sommelier’s choice of perfectly paired wines to match the cuisine. This fine dinner will come to a suitably lavish end with fresh coffee, tea and delicious petits fours before the train pulls into London Victoria and our journey ends.

The day starts at 9:30 at London Victoria Station and ends on the same day at 21:30. Included: Round-trip travel aboard the luxurious British Pullman, a Belmond train: Welcome sparkling Bellini: Delicious three-course brunch on the outward journey: Morning tea and coffee: An afternoon at Goodwood Festival races, including transfers and admission to the Richmond Enclosure: Champagne reception back on board the British Pullman: Sumptuous three-course dinner: Wine selected by the British Pullman sommelier to accompany the seasonal menu: Coffee, tea and petits fours: US$50 onboard credit per person.

BOOK NOW FOR THIS BRITISH PULLMAN DAY AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD

The date is Saturday, August 5, and the CountryClubuk Members’ price including all of the above, is £467pp instead of the full price of £650pp. This will, we know, be popular with our Members and space is necessarily limited.

Please click here now to secure your places for Glorious Goodwood on Saturday, August 5, 2023, or call Member Services on 020 7399 2960.