AND they're off!

The most lucrative race meeting in Goodwood’s history opened its doors to thousands of punters yesterday.

The five day Glorious Goodwood – now known as the Qatar Goodwood Festival – kicked off in style with seven top-quality races with hundreds of thousands of pounds of prize money.

The annual festival has been elevated to the global stage thanks to a 10-year agreement with the Qatar Racing and Equestrian club – a partnership that was announced in December.

Prize money for the meeting has increased from £2.5 million to £4.5 million with an injection of £2 million into eight key races.

Away from the racing, Qatar Tourism welcomed punters with a stunning wall of flowers that contained 35,000 carnations.