Illinois expected to thrive over Goodwood Cup trip
Following the latter's retirement, Illinois was drafted into the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and performed admirably to finish best of the rest behind the front-running Trawlerman – and with the latter not in attendance, the four-year-old is favourite to go one better on the Sussex Downs.
TRAWLERMAN IS THE 2025 GOLD CUP HERO! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/KpFZ8A6QZg
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2025
O'Brien said: 'He ran well in the Gold Cup and we're looking forward to this, obviously it's a shorter trip than Ascot.
'We thought this would be a nice third race back for him this year and we've been very happy with him since Ascot.'
Connections have a major second string to their bow in the form of Scandinavia, a dominant winner of the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket three weeks ago and as the sole three-year-old in the field, he is in receipt of a stone in weight from Illinois and the rest of his rivals.
'He was good in Newmarket and he seems in good form. Obviously he's only a baby, but he liked the extra distance in Newmarket the last day and seems to have come out of the race well,' O'Brien added.
Despite deciding against running Trawlerman, John and Thady Gosden are well represented, with Gold Cup fourth Sweet William joined by French Master and Military Academy.
French Master claimed his fourth win from six career starts in the Copper Horse Stakes at the Royal meeting and now tests the water over two miles on a track where he has been successful before.
John Gosden said: 'Sweet William has been in very good form. He broke well in the Gold Cup, it was a tough race and in the end the two and a half (miles) was a little too far for him – he's a two-mile to two-and-a-quarter-mile horse, but he ran a brave race.
'He's in very good form and he knows Goodwood well, so back we go again.'
Of French Master, the trainer added: 'I think he's a horse who will rise to the occasion. He won in good style (at Royal Ascot), but he's going from a handicap to a completely open Group One.
'We're hopeful he'll run a good race and we're very much looking forward to running him and seeing the jump in class. If he doesn't handle it, we can regroup.'
Another who appears better suited to the drop in trip will be Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai Future, who split Illinois and Sweet William when third in the Gold Cup.
Bin Suroor said: 'Dubai Future worked well on Thursday and heads to Goodwood in good order.
'He ran a good race in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, but two miles suits him better, as he showed in the Dubai Gold Cup.
'He has done very well this year and I'm looking forward to seeing how he gets on.'
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This is more common on casino sites, but some new betting sites impose them on sportsbook offers. Offer validity: Make sure the offer is valid for a reasonable amount of time – for Goodwood, this may be until the final races of the festival, or the end of the day. Tips For Goodwood Betting There are several things to consider before wagering on any given horse or race: Horses: Take a look at the horse's recent form and how it has performed on that particular course or race in the past. Trainers: Research the particular trainer's record at Goodwood and in certain races. Jockeys: It pays to have a look at the jockey's record and relationship with the horse, as well as their past experience with certain horses and trainers. Weather and course: The weather can play a big part in how a horse performs. Types of bet: Research which sort of bet suits the race and horse. For example, using E/W bets and other special acca bets such as placepots may help to cover your bases. However, bear in mind that some Goodwood betting offers are not eligible with certain bet types. Responsible Gambling Betting should only ever be considered a form of entertainment – it will never be a surefire way to make money. When taking advantage of Glorious Goodwood betting offers, assume you'll lose and therefore, only bet what you can afford. Betting can also be addictive, so please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. Make sure you use the safer gambling tools offered by betting companies such as deposit limits, reality checks, loss limits, time-outs and self-exclusion. The same applies if you're gambling on casino apps, poker sites, bingo sites or any other type of betting site. If you have gambling-related concerns, then seek independent help. There are several UK charities and institutions that offer support, advice and information, with a few listed below:
