Illinois expected to thrive over Goodwood Cup trip

The Herald Scotland

28-07-2025

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.
Sweet William won the Summer Handicap at Goodwood in 2023 (Andrew Matthews/PA)
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.'
French Master will dip his toe in Group company for the first time (John Walton/PA)
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.'
Saeed bin Suroor (John Walton/PA)
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.'