Easter Tuesday was chosen because Good Friday and Easter Saturday were already taken for marble pitching, Easter Sunday for the Moravian Love Feast and Easter Monday for horse racing. The course is about 100 metres long and there is a maximum of 10 goats per race. Each jockey has to wear the silk of the goat s owner, white shorts and bare feet. There is betting but it is all rather discreet. A yellow flashing light signifies that they are under starters orders, the gates flip open and the race is on.
Goats lead with the jockey running behind holding the goat on a short length of rope.
This is no gentle jog, the goats are very fast and the jockeys give Linford Christie a good run for his money. Of course the jockey has little control over his goat and the best fun is had when the goat suddenly veers across the other runners. The finish is often chaotic with all 10 runners nearly ending in the grandstand at the end of the course. This may be one reason why the race was moved from the Battery. The closeness of the cliffs overhanging the sea made it unpopular.