Progressive Scandinavia outduels Illinois in Goodwood Cup
The Aidan O'Brien-trained stable companions dominated the betting, so while Scandinavia was discarded by Ryan Moore, Wayne Lordan's mount was still only a 4-1 shot following his victory in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.
Illinois attempted to make all but Scandinavia drew upsides over a furlong out and the two had it between them, with the concession of 14lb ultimately proving too much for Moore's mount, who went down by three-quarters of a length. French Master stayed on for a never-nearer third.
A new staying star.
Scandinavia becomes the first three-year-old since the great Stradivarius to win the Group 1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, landing our £500,000 feature for @waynemlordan and Aidan O'Brien @Q_REC pic.twitter.com/RNCry5XOwN
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 29, 2025
O'Brien immediately signalled the St Leger at Doncaster as the big aim for his winner.
"Wayne gave him a lovely ride – in the race at Ascot (Queen's Vase) he was trapped six wide all the way and then at Newmarket Ryan said he felt like a very good horse," he said.
"Illinois went out there in front and looked to have the race won, but then the other horse got him.
"We went to the Gold Cup (with Illinois) without a preparation and I know we haven't seen the best of him.
"Scandinavia is a typical Justify, he just won't lie down, he puts his head down and won't be beaten.
"Lambourn didn't go to the King George as we had one eye on York for him. It's all out in the open and this horse is ready made for the Leger, which is where he will go."
Alan King's hugely popular Trueshan, winner of the race in 2021, was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle at halfway, with news sadly emerging his injury had proved to be a fatal one.
Eve Johnson Houghton's Zavateri gamely maintained his unbeaten record when defying a penalty in holding off Morris Dancer in the Coral Vintage Stakes.
A surprise winner of the July Stakes at Newmarket, he was 8-1 for this Group Two affair, mainly due to the fact he was carrying 3lb more than such promising types as Humidity and Dorset.
Charlie Bishop still had five in front of him with two furlongs to run, but when the gap came he shot through it and while immediately challenged by John and Thady Gosden's Morris Dancer, he stuck his neck out and had his head in the right place on the line. The Ed Walker-trained Do Or Do Not placed yet again in third.
One of the stars of the season strikes again!
Zavateri makes it three from three and strikes for more Group 2 glory in a thrilling renewal of the £175,000 @Coral Vintage Stakes for @johnsonhoughton pic.twitter.com/4s1pmi04FH
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 29, 2025
"After Newmarket I didn't know where to go because when you have a 3lb penalty it's damn hard," said Johnson Houghton.
"It was either come here or wait until Doncaster, but so glad we did. He had to win his race twice after cutting through them like a knife through butter.
"I put him in the Mill Reef this morning, but that's out of the question now as we will head for the Dewhurst, with the Jean-Luc Lagardere as a back up.
"He's never had to tough it out at home, but he did today. What a dude he is, just a lovely, lovely horse."
Hollie Doyle was at her brilliant best to steer Witness Stand to HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes success and give Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole a marquee Group Two victory.
There was early drama as Ralph Beckett's race regular and leading fancy Kinross was withdrawn at the start after receiving a kick, while Ed Walker's Royal Ascot winner Noble Champion was eased down and pulled up early into the piece.
However, Doyle avoided any complications as she latched Witness Stand on to the small cluster to go forward from start, always in the slipstream of customary front-runner Quinault and defending champion Audience.
It looked momentarily like Audience would recreate last year's heroics, but the 25-1 winner found plenty in reserve inside the final furlong to gallop home two-and-three-quarter-lengths clear of William Haggas' Lake Forest, the only runner to emerge from the chasing pack late on.
A landmark winner for @UrloxheyStables!
Witness Stand strikes in the £180,000 Group 2 @HKJC_Racing @WorldPool Lennox Stakes under @HollieDoyle1.
Many congratulations to the Jamie Insole and Dr Richard Newland training partnership pic.twitter.com/8ycgJAN8IH
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 29, 2025
Insole said: "As a trainer you wait your whole life for a good horse and to win the Lennox is pretty incredible.
"We bought him for a hundred grand and felt he'd gone under the radar as there were higher offers for him that came our way afterwards. I already had this race in mind for him.
"It was his Chester run (second in a Listed race) that gave us the confidence to come here, and when I saw the rain this morning and the slower ground I knew it would be to his advantage."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
My headline 11-2 tip can pull off a famous Glorious Goodwood double in the big sprint on Friday
FIRST came Evs and now there's Mojo as trainer Mick Appleby tries to make it 'Big' in the feature sprint on day four of Glorious Goodwood. Twelve months ago it was Big Evs who took the King George Qatar Stakes for Appleby and Tom Marquand. Advertisement 1 Big Mojo could prove unstoppable in what is sure to be a rapid King George sprint at Goodwood Credit: Alamy On Friday afternoon, live on ITV, the pair are at it again with BIG MOJO and have every chance of pulling off a famous double. This season the crack juvenile has been second in the July Cup and seventh in the Commonwealth Cup. Both of those are over 6f, and I suspect he will love dropping back to 5f. Has a big mojo of a chance. Opposition is headed by last year's runner-up Asfoora who challenges from Australia as well as Khaadem, who blew away cobwebs at Newbury the other day. Advertisement He won this in 2022 from Appleby's Raasel! The action starts with a unique handicap over an extended 2m4f. One-time St Leger hope ALIGN THE STARS might cause a ripple for Charlie Johnston and Christophe Soumillon. A seventh in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot wasn't a bad performance suggesting this trip is not totally out of his compass and his fifth at Newmarket last time wasn't too bad. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing He's down another pound now and I'm not sure this is the strongest renewal of all time. An each-way chance. The Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes is for three-year-olds over 1m and Opera Ballo was my pick here but I'll go for DIEGO VENTURA now given form on what is sure to be sodden ground. Another handicap in the Golden Mile over, you've guessed it, 1m. BOPEDRO was fifth in this last year off 96 and hasn't won a race since yet goes in now off 98. Advertisement All in all he's a badly handicapped horse especially at the age of nine. That all said, Hector Crouch can have fun with this ride as there is no pressure from a horrible draw in stall 16. The old boy will be dropped out and ridden cold and try and fly home late. I'll chance a few quid each-way. Trainer David O'Meara is great in these races and ground conditions are not issue. Advertisement Finally on ITV a conditions race over 1m1f. LIBERTY LANE has to give some weight away but will probably take all the beating for Clifford Lee and Karl Burke. My hope flopped at Royal Ascot in the Wolferton over a bit further, but he scored well at this track the time before and this level should be well within his reach. When he's on a going day he's quite a decent horse. Advertisement Good luck! FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
William Haggas has smuggled a Group horse into a handicap and I suspect he will take all the beating at Goodwood
TACTICS can be everything in sport. But when you rely on tactics they can, of course, always go wrong. That was very much the case for Ballydoyle in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last weekend. 1 Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien made a rare mistake and got it wrong in the King George - but they can rebound in style in the Nassau with Whirl Credit: Sportsfile Jan Brueghel and Continuous had a nightmare. But on Thursday at Glorious Goodwood surely it's simple what Ryan Moore should do in the feature Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, live on ITV. Runner-up in the Oaks, and a horse that might have won that race on another day, WHIRL then made all to defeat King George runner-up Kalpana in the Group 1 Pretty Polly at the Curragh. This afternoon on paper the only pace pressure is Running Lion, and even if she decides to go on Whirl can sit second and is a much better horse getting 9lb! It all looks simple to me, even though the opposition includes the useful See the Fire (third in the Prince of Wales's to Ombudsman) and Coronation Stakes-winning roughie Cercene. Hopefully Whirl makes all the running, or nearly all! Day three of Glorious Goodwood on telly starts with a handicap for three-year-olds over 1m2f. William Haggas looks to have a live one here in HIGH DEGREE and I suspect he will take all the beating. Most read in Horse Racing Of course the big negative is the draw - there is not a single rider who would want stall 18. But Tom Marquand is class and I just hope he conjures up a passage for the son of Too Darn Hot who lost his maiden tag at Ffos Las last time in a tight finish. I suspect this could be a Group horse in a handicap. Up in class for the Group 2 Richmond Stakes over 6f next. AZIZAM was drawn miles away from winner and reposing Havana Hurricane in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and he looked like the animal gagging for this extra furlong when finishing strongly in third. My hope has been off the track since then and lacks a bit of match practise but the odds are decent and he really should have strong eachway claims for Karl Burke and Sam James. The Group 3 Gordon Stakes is for three-year-olds over 1m4f. MERCHANT will be a banker for many after his Royal Ascot romp in the King George V Stakes. Haggas will be thinking he's got a right St Leger hope on his hands and I so no reason why he can't be another for Marquand. Remember he was drawn in stall 20 at Ascot and still won. The trainer won this with Desert Hero before he finished third in the Leger. Finally, a handicap for more three-year-olds over 5f. RUBY'S PROFIT has been dropped 1lb for a couple of defeats even though she ran crackers at both Epsom and Royal Ascot. Prior to those two efforts the Jamie Insole runner had scored well at this course and the draw is great in stall eight. Hopefully out, away and gone and very hard to kick out the frame at the very least. Come on Kieran Shoemark. Good luck! FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Aidan O'Brien eyes St Leger bid after Scandinavia leads home Ballydoyle 1-2 in Goodwood Cup
The Aidan O'Brien-trained stable companions dominated the betting, so while Scandinavia was discarded by Ryan Moore, Wayne Lordan's mount was still only a 4/1 shot following his victory in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket. Illinois attempted to make all but Scandinavia drew upsides the 7/4 favourite over a furlong out and the two had it between them, with the concession of 14lb ultimately proving too much for Moore's mount, which went down by three-parts of a length. Sweet William stayed on for third. O'Brien immediately signalled the St Leger at Doncaster as the big aim for his winner. 'Wayne gave him a lovely ride – in the race at Ascot [Queen's Vase] he was trapped six wide all the way and then at Newmarket Ryan said he felt like a very good horse,' he said. 'Illinois went out there in front and looked to have the race won, but then the other horse got him. 'We went to the Gold Cup [with Illinois] without a preparation and I know we haven't seen the best of him. 'Scandinavia is a typical Justify, he just won't lie down, he puts his head down and won't be beaten. 'Lambourn didn't go to the King George as we had one eye on York for him. It's all out in the open and this horse is ready-made for the Leger, which is where he will go. 'He [Scandinavia] travelled very well through the race, he has a great mind. Lambourn can go for the Voltigeur and then maybe for the Arc.' O'Brien was also pleased with the performance of the runner-up. 'I thought Ryan did everything perfect today on Illinois. He was out there and had the race won, and then the other horse just came and got him,' he reflected. 'I don't think we've seen the best of Illinois yet because I think we went to the Gold Cup a year too early and his preparation wasn't right to win a Gold Cup. He ran an unbelievable race, and he'll have the rest of the season.' Alan King's hugely popular Trueshan, winner of the race in 2021, was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle at halfway, with news emerging his injury had proved to be a fatal one. Earlier, O'Brien's 13/8 favourite Dorset Street could only finish fifth to the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Zavateri (8/1) in the Coral Vintage Stakes.
