Royal Ascot over now onto Glorious Goodwood

Just when Royal Ascot gave us its all, now it’s onto Glorious Goodwood for another Ascot Gold Cup match-up in the £500,000 Group 1 Goodwood Cup.

To be run over two miles (3200m) on Tuesday, July 28, it’s a highly anticipated re-match of the Ascot Gold Cup where Scandinavia, in the hands of Ryan Moore, and Trawlerman fought out a head finish.

And with the Gold Cup providing Aidan O’Brien with his 100th winner at Royal Ascot, and Scandinavia his 10th Gold Cup winner, it is now Scandinavia chasing successive Goodwood Cup victories.

Also looking for his eighth win on end, he won this same race as a three-year-old last July before adding Group 1 victories in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster and last week’s Ascot Gold Cup.

Superbly bred by the Orpendale-Chelston-Wyatt partnership, he’s a four-year-old colt by the highly influential undefeated US Triple Crown hero Justify, from the family of Giant’s Causeway and Gleneagles.

The Godolphin-owned and bred eight-year-old gelding Trawlerman is also entered, having won the 2025 Ascot Gold Cup and the Champions Long Distance Cup over 1m7f at Ascot last October.

Rated 122 as the highest official-rated entry, he is looking for Ascot Gold Cup revenge after that race was his first start in 12 months for trainers John and Thady Gosden and jockey William Buick.

The Gosdens have also entered fan favourite Sweet William, owned and bred by Phillipa Cooper’s Normandie Stud, who was third in both the Ascot Gold Cup and last year’s Goodwood Cup.

Stablemates Gregory and French Master of Wathnan Racing will add strength to the Gosdens’ Clarehaven yard after enjoying success at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in recent years.

Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien has also entered last year’s Goodwood Cup runner-up Illinois, who as a multiple Group 1 placegetter is among his entries seeking a first Group 1 victory.

He is joined by dual Group 1 winner Jan Brueghel, the 2024 St Leger Stakes and 2025 Coronation Cup winner, while three-year-olds Causeway and Pierre Bonnard complete the five-strong Ballydoyle challenge.

Roger Varian and owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum have Rahiebb as the highest-rated four-year-old entered on 116, while Ralph Beckett has his dual Goodwood winner Amiloc entered on a 115 rating.

Also on 115 is George Scott’s Group 1 winner Caballo De Mar, while Charlie Johnston’s German-bred Lazy Griff and Joseph O’Brien’s 2025 Irish St Leger hero Al Riffa feature among the entries.

Godolphin’s veteran stayer Dubai Future, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, adds depth, while Paddy Twomey’s Carmers highlights the Irish challenge for an excellent Goodwood Cup renewal.

Of the 36 fillies and mares entered for the £600,000 Group 1 Nassau Stakes, also run on Thursday, July 30, it is headlined by Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten Diamond Necklace.

A standout performer in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane, she’s from the first crop of Prix de Jockey-Club winner St Mark’s Basilla and was a €1.7 million Arqana August Yearling.

Another Classic contender is Joseph O’Brien’s Frankel filly Thundering On, who scored a 3¾-length victory in the Oaks Stakes for owner Shapoor Mistry and jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.

The 2026 Oaks runner-up Legacy Link is also entered, while Oaks third Sugar Island, the Cheshire Oaks winner Amelia Earhart and Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Cameo are entered by Aidan O’Brien.

Ballydoyle has 10 entries in total, including the Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Precise, plus Beautify, Composing, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Moments Of Joy, along with the four-year-old Minnie Hauk.