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.
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
19 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Horse racing tips: 10-1 pick with huge Royal Ascot form is begging to be backed
Scroll down for our selections FIVER FLUTTER Horse racing tips: 10-1 pick with huge Royal Ascot form is begging to be backed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SUN Racing's Friday picks are below. Back a horse by clicking their odds below. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up LONGSHOT EBT'S GUARD (2.30 Goodwood) He ran a cracker in the Royal Hunt Cup and went close here at last year's Festival. EACH-WAY THIEF SHERADANN (1.20 Goodwood) He has run well over 2m here on soft and this longer trip should be ideal. FROST AT DAWN (3.05 Goodwood) He was a cracking second in the King Charles III at Royal Ascot last time. 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: 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 Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Horse racing tips: 10-1 pick with huge Royal Ascot form is begging to be backed
Scroll down for our selections FIVER FLUTTER Horse racing tips: 10-1 pick with huge Royal Ascot form is begging to be backed SUN Racing's Friday picks are below. Back a horse by clicking their odds below. Advertisement LONGSHOT EBT'S GUARD (2.30 Goodwood) He ran a cracker in the Royal Hunt Cup and went close here at last year's Festival. EACH-WAY THIEF Advertisement SHERADANN (1.20 Goodwood) He has run well over 2m here on soft and this longer trip should be ideal. FROST AT DAWN (3.05 Goodwood) He was a cracking second in the King Charles III at Royal Ascot last time. Advertisement 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: 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 Guardian
19 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Glorious Goodwood: Whirl dances through rain after messy flag start
There was nothing too glorious about a ragged flag start for the Group One Nassau Stakes on Thursday, but much to appreciate about the difference that a top-class jockey can make as Ryan Moore seized the initiative aboard Whirl, the 6-5 favourite, and ensured that Aidan O'Brien's filly was never seriously threatened on her way to a five-length success. Goodwood's officials were forced to use a flag start, a first for a Group One race in Britain, as there was lightning in the air, in the midst of a sustained downpour that also changed the going from good, good-to-firm in places to heavy in less than an hour, with none of the usual stopping-off points in between. It was an unfamiliar situation for the five riders in the day's feature event, and Moore was first to react as the starter dropped the flag, while See The Fire, the second-favourite, was slightly back on her heels for Oisin Murphy. Within a few strides, Whirl had grabbed a useful lead – three or four lengths over See The Fire, and at least half a dozen over her stable companion, Bedtime Story – and as Moore went through the gears from the two-furlong pole, his opponents were always struggling to land a blow. Whirl has now won two all-aged Group One events in a row after her narrow defeat by Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom in early June, and an increasingly live contender for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in early October. Kalpana, the current 13-2 favourite for the Arc with Paddy Power, was a length and a quarter behind Whirl in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June, and Whirl is now 8-1 (from 10-1) for Europe's showpiece event. 'Whirl just keeps doing what she says she is going to do,' Moore said. 'She has loads of ability, stays well, handles quick ground, handles slow ground. Aidan called her 'a racing machine' the last day. He keeps getting these horses to do different things and this filly keeps progressing. 'It is a shame it was the spectacle it was, but she won it very well. She has won two Group One races now against the girls. She will have to step up again against the boys, but she is progressing and Aidan's horses just keep turning up every time.' See The Fire, meanwhile, is now likely to head to the International Stakes at York next month, a race that was won by her sire, Sea The Stars, in 2009 and her dam, Arabian Queen, six years later. Whether Field Of Gold, the beaten 1-3 favourite in Wednesday's Sussex Stakes, also lines up for that race remains to be seen, however, as the three-year-old was reportedly lame on Thursday morning. 'We don't have the full picture yet, but he is lame on his left hind,' Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the Juddmonte operation, said on Thursday. 'Until we have the full picture we can't fully diagnose it, but the fact he is lame suggests that could potentially be why we didn't see the true horse that we know yesterday.' Earlier on Thursday's card, Merchant followed up his handicap success at the Royal meeting in June with a narrow victory in the Group Three Gordon Stakes, a contest that is often a trial for the St Leger. Merchant is quoted at around 10-1 for the final Classic after edging out Wimbledon Hawkeye by a nose, but William Haggas, his trainer, has yet to commit the three-year-old to the race. 'My gut feeling is no because I don't think it did [the 2023 Gordon Stakes winner] Desert Hero much good long-term,' Haggas said. 'We had planned to go to the Voltigeur [at York in August] with Merchant, but he has had a race today and will need at least 10 days going very quietly before we decide what to do.' The King George Stakes, Glorious Goodwood's traditional test of pure speed, will be more of a slog after the downpour here on Thursday, but the Australian-trained favourite, Asfoora (3.05), has several soft-ground wins on her record and looks fairly priced at around 2-1 to improve on her close second in this race last year. Asfoora was touched off by Mick Appleby's Big Evs last year and another three-year-old from the same yard, Big Mojo, is the likely second-favourite on Friday after a strong run into second behind the shock winner No Half Measures in the July Cup last time out. A potentially vital difference, however, is that Asfoora shouldered 6lb penalty last year following her win in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. Henry Dwyer's mare went to the same race this year without the benefit of a prep run, finishing a creditable fifth in the circumstances. She goes to post on Friday without a penalty and looks sure to improve for the run. Goodwood 1.20 Christophe Soumillon is an eye-catching booking for Charlie Johnston's Align The Stars, a winner at this meeting 12 months ago. He looked a little one-paced over 14 furlongs at Newmarket last time but had previously run well to finish seventh in the Ascot Stakes so this return to a marathon trip at a track he clearly enjoys could be just what he needs. Goodwood 1.55 A disappointing sixth behind Field Of Gold in the Craven Stakes in April remains the only blot on Opera Ballo's record and he posted another career-best when beating Seagulls Eleven – who reopposes today – at Newmarket's July Festival last time. This step back up to Group Three company looks an obvious next step on the way to even better things. Goodwood 2.30 While the last two renewals of this handicap have gone to horses from high-numbered stalls, a low draw is always a significant advantage over this track and trip and Oisin Murphy has an ideal pitch in stall two on Greek Order. Michael Bell's gelding was in front half a furlong out in the Royal Hunt Cup and this switch to a sharper mile should suit. Goodwood 1.20 Align The Stars 1.55 Opera Ballo 2.30 Greek Order (nap) 3.05 Asfoora (nb) 3.45 Haunted Dream 4.20 Golden Brown 4.55 Push The Limit Newcastle 2.05 Balqaa 2.40 Weddell Sea 3.15 Territorial Star 3.53 Willingly 4.30 Tanjen 5.07 Highfield Viking Southwell 2.15 Sir Benedict 2.50 Byblos 3.25 Ocean Odyssey 4.05 Mark's Choice 4.40 Mercurius Power 5.15 Houdini Miss 5.50 Haazeez Musselburgh 5.37 Wadacre Giorgio 6.10 Blooming Legend 6.45 Koffee And Kale 7.18 Curious Rover 7.48 Due Respect 8.20 8.50 Newmarket 5.45 Beckford's Folly 6.20 Holbache 6.55 Walson's Law 7.27 Hot Flame 7.57 Inlet 8.30 Dashing Roger Bath 5.55 I Can Imagine 6.30 Moe's Legacy 7.05 Simplify 7.35 Neptune Legend 8.05 Launceston 8.35 Orchestral Wave Goodwood 3.45 A tricky conditions event where the consistent Haunted Dream, last year's winner, makes most appeal. Hamad al Jehani's globe-trotting gelding has a definite liking for this track, having also finished a close second in a handicap at this meeting two years ago, and a repeat of his form behind the useful Shin Emperor in a Group Two in Saudi Arabia in February would probably suffice.
