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Updated Progressive Scandinavia outduels Illinois in Goodwood Cup

Updated / Tuesday, 29 Jul 2025 18:40
Scandinavia (orange and blue silks) led home a Ballydoyle one-two in the feature at Goodwood
Scandinavia (orange and blue silks) led home a Ballydoyle one-two in the feature at Goodwood

Scandinavia got the better of stablemate Illinois in a thrilling finish to the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes, in a race overshadowed by a fatal injury to the veteran Trueshan.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained stable companions dominated the betting, so while Scandinavia was discarded by Ryan Moore, Wayne Lordan’s mount was still only a 4-1 shot following his victory in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

Illinois attempted to make all but Scandinavia drew upsides over a furlong out and the two had it between them, with the concession of 14lb ultimately proving too much for Moore’s mount, who went down by three-quarters of a length. French Master stayed on for a never-nearer third.

O'Brien immediately signalled the St Leger at Doncaster as the big aim for his winner.

"Wayne gave him a lovely ride – in the race at Ascot (Queen’s Vase) he was trapped six wide all the way and then at Newmarket Ryan said he felt like a very good horse," he said.

"Illinois went out there in front and looked to have the race won, but then the other horse got him.

"We went to the Gold Cup (with Illinois) without a preparation and I know we haven’t seen the best of him.

"Scandinavia is a typical Justify, he just won’t lie down, he puts his head down and won’t be beaten.

"Lambourn didn’t go to the King George as we had one eye on York for him. It’s all out in the open and this horse is ready made for the Leger, which is where he will go."

Alan King’s hugely popular Trueshan, winner of the race in 2021, was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle at halfway, with news sadly emerging his injury had proved to be a fatal one.

Eve Johnson Houghton's Zavateri gamely maintained his unbeaten record when defying a penalty in holding off Morris Dancer in the Coral Vintage Stakes.

A surprise winner of the July Stakes at Newmarket, he was 8-1 for this Group Two affair, mainly due to the fact he was carrying 3lb more than such promising types as Humidity and Dorset.

Charlie Bishop still had five in front of him with two furlongs to run, but when the gap came he shot through it and while immediately challenged by John and Thady Gosden's Morris Dancer, he stuck his neck out and had his head in the right place on the line. The Ed Walker-trained Do Or Do Not placed yet again in third.

"After Newmarket I didn't know where to go because when you have a 3lb penalty it’s damn hard," said Johnson Houghton.

"It was either come here or wait until Doncaster, but so glad we did. He had to win his race twice after cutting through them like a knife through butter.

"I put him in the Mill Reef this morning, but that’s out of the question now as we will head for the Dewhurst, with the Jean-Luc Lagardere as a back up.

"He’s never had to tough it out at home, but he did today. What a dude he is, just a lovely, lovely horse."

Hollie Doyle was at her brilliant best to steer Witness Stand to HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes success and give Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole a marquee Group Two victory.

There was early drama as Ralph Beckett's race regular and leading fancy Kinross was withdrawn at the start after receiving a kick, while Ed Walker's Royal Ascot winner Noble Champion was eased down and pulled up early into the piece.

However, Doyle avoided any complications as she latched Witness Stand on to the small cluster to go forward from start, always in the slipstream of customary front-runner Quinault and defending champion Audience.

It looked momentarily like Audience would recreate last year’s heroics, but the 25-1 winner found plenty in reserve inside the final furlong to gallop home two-and-three-quarter-lengths clear of William Haggas’ Lake Forest, the only runner to emerge from the chasing pack late on.

Insole said: "As a trainer you wait your whole life for a good horse and to win the Lennox is pretty incredible.

"We bought him for a hundred grand and felt he’d gone under the radar as there were higher offers for him that came our way afterwards. I already had this race in mind for him.

"It was his Chester run (second in a Listed race) that gave us the confidence to come here, and when I saw the rain this morning and the slower ground I knew it would be to his advantage."

Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy teamed up to win a Group One in Germany on Sunday and were on the mark again in the Goodwood finale on Tuesday with Dubai Treasure.

The lightly-raced filly was having her first run over six furlongs since August 2023, yet despite that the race looked over from some way out. Under The Twilight did close to within a neck, but the 85-40 favourite was value for much more.

Bin Suroor said: "She shows plenty of speed. I was going to run her at Doncaster in the seven-furlong Group Three, but when I talked to Oisin he said to keep her at six furlongs.

"She shows that speed in the mornings when she works. Now we'll look for a nice race for her.

"She hasn’t run over six since she was two. She has the class for Group races.

"I think we’ll have to look for a nice race over six furlongs. She had a setback when she was in Dubai."

Murphy was completing a double having earlier won on Andrew Balding’s Stellar Sunrise.

Westridge continued his progression with a wide-margin win in the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by Billy Loughnane, the four-year-old has been faring well in handicaps recently and started a 6-1 chance in a field of 18.

From stall eight he hit his stride quickly and after a prominent passage through the race he took up the lead in the final furlong, then pulling clear of the chasing pack to score by an eventual three and a quarter lengths.

"He enjoyed the space around him today and Billy gave him a lovely ride. It is not easy in a big handicap field but he broke well and made use of him," said John Gosden.

"He is owned by Glen Manchester, my wife and Nicholas Wrigley, so it’s a proper partnership.

"We did have him in the July sales but wisely we chose to take him out three days before the sale, thank God we did that.

"He’s a grand horse and he’s done well, the handicapper will get him now but to win the Chesterfield Cup is a dream come true because Glen is very much Goodwood orientated.

"It’ll have to be York now though I’m not sure which race, Mr Wrigley will demand it. Rachel is just the silent partner, she does whatever they want!"

Ruth Carr’s Brazen Bolt made the long journey from Yorkshire to Sussex worthwhile with success in the Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap, where he prevailed by a nose at 28-1 under Warren Fentiman.

Peter Furr, Doncaster-based winning owner-breeder, said: "He has been an unbelievable horse. We have bred a few horses but nothing like him. He went to Bahrain and won last year and when he came back he was not very well.

"He had ulcers, a bad tummy, stress, everything. Me and my daughter got him back and had him on a nebuliser. We took him to Ruth this season and she has been fantastic.

"We didn’t expect to win at York last time and we came here today thinking it would be really firm ground and when it wasn’t we didn’t expect this again. It doesn’t happen to people like us."

Roger Varian’s Protest built on recent Listed efforts to make a winning handicap debut in the Ridgeview Fillies’ Handicap over a mile.

The Cheveley Park Stud owned and bred chestnut struck at 11-2, steered by Silvestre de Sousa to a one-length win.

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