Goodwood Cup: Scandinavia retains Group 1 crown after eventful race | Racing News

Scandinavia confirmed his superiority over Trawlerman to defend his Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup title in fine style at Goodwood.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Justify and his John and Thady Gosden-trained adversary had served up a thriller in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and another titanic tussle looked on the cards on the Sussex Downs.

Sent off the 6-5 favourite, Ryan Moore was always hot on the heels of Trawlerman who headed affairs in the hands of William Buick, in a race that had early drama when Amiloc unshipped Hector Crouch leaving the stalls.

Amiloc would again play a key role after Buick had set sail for home heading downhill into the straight and with the two Ascot rivals knuckling down for another battle, the loose Amiloc cut across the pair, checking Trawlerman’s momentum and allowing Scandinavia to scorch clear.

He galloped on eight and a half lengths into the distance as Trawlerman finished second once again to his Ballydoyle foe, with Roger Varian’s Rahiebb third.

“I’m delighted, I’m thankful to everyone around him. He’s a great horse, he’s a real top stayer,” said O’Brien.

“He’s a high cruising speed, he relaxes and finds his momentum. Ryan said he finds the minute he starts asking him, he starts coming alive underneath him.

“We were a bit worried coming to Ascot because we’ve never been two and a half (miles) and you’re never sure until you do it.

“We felt he’s really gone the right way since Ascot. It’s a great race to win, very prestigious.

“It’s great that Trawlerman came and all the horses were there, it’s what we all want to see – win, lose or draw.

“We thought that Trawlerman was going to make it, we were hoping that he would so Ryan could just follow him as he did in Ascot.

“It was going to be very simple, was he good enough or not? Obviously there was a little bit of drama, Trawlerman was a bit slowly away and Ralph’s (Beckett) horse (Amiloc) was loose.

“It was a bit eventful, but it was still a great race at a great track. It was a spectacle to watch and going two miles, you get a great chance to look at it and take it in.”

Of Scandinavia’s future, O’Brien added: “He’s very sound, he loves what he’s doing and the lads love having him.

“When you get a horse like this that can race year in, year out, that’s what makes it special.

“They’re very hard to find, impossible really. I would imagine he’ll keep racing as long as he stays safe and sound.

“He could (emulate Yeats, four-time winner of the Gold Cup), he’s a natural cruiser. He’s easy to train, he’s a great mind and as he’s by Justify, he has that great rhythm.”

Moore said: “It was nice for him to have a horse to follow all the way, he probably thinks he got beat!

“His stride never shortened, he just kept galloping all the way to the line – what more can you say?

“He likes fast ground, he’s a high-class horse and hopefully there’s a few more good days to come.”

Kaiya Fraser shines with Vintage performance

Kaiya Fraser produced a brilliant ride to land the Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood aboard the unbeaten Dr Rascal and celebrated the biggest victory of his career in the process.

The winning jockey had endured the nasty experience of being pulled from the saddle of the Oliver Cole-trained colt by the bite of a loose horse before remounting to win at Ascot earlier this month.

On this occasion the 23-year-old held his nerve to squeeze through a narrow gap on the rails on the inside of David Egan on Pikachu a furlong from home, delivering the son of Sottsass to land the spoils at 13-2 by half a length from the Aidan O’Brien-trained Haffner.

Favourite Al Hudaiba once again looked a difficult ride, with William Buick struggling to get him going before finishing a close third.

Fraser said: “It means everything, this is what we wake up for every morning.

“I’ve put so much hard work in to get where I am today and all the people around who have helped me – my agent James Forrest and all the owners and trainers who put me up.

“I’m very grateful to them and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.”

He added: “You saw today, he had to get a push into the stalls because he obviously had that experience last time out where he got a bit nervous, but luckily he’s a willing horse and he went in with a bit of encouragement and he got out and got the job done.”

This was a first victory for Cole in a race his father Paul won three times with Putra (1996), Central Park (1997) and Strategic Prince (2006).

He said: “I was always quietly confident, he’s a very good horse.

“I wasn’t very nervous before the race which was quite a good thing because I have a lot of faith in this horse.

“He’s a very fast horse… another unlucky run really because he got loose before Ascot and then he’s just got mullered coming up there in the straight and he’s still won.

“We’ll probably look to the Dewhurst or something like that; he’s got so much class and so much speed and he’s very well bred, we’re very lucky to have him in our stable.

“We’re not used to these kinds of horses so back to the drawing board (for plans). The Royal Lodge probably not. I’ll have to go away and have a think about it.

“It means a lot (to follow in his father’s footsteps). My first complete year as a trainer, it means a lot. It’s not just me, there’s a big group at home that work so hard – I’m very proud of all of them.”

The stewards did have a look afterwards, but found Fraser and Dr Rascal had gone through a legitimate gap on the inside of Pikachu.

Fraser said: “My horse slightly came off his line and I just had to straighten him up, didn’t cause anything.

“I’m delighted, first Group winner – in a Group Two on a very nice two-year-old, so I’m looking forward to the future.”