Scandinavia also knows how to win when the going gets tough
The impressive son of Justify was forced to dig deep to overcome Queenstown in the Irish St Leger (G1), but successfully extended his winning streak to eight consecutive victories; trainer Aidan O’Brien is considering giving him a breather ahead of the 2027 Gold Cup
COUNTY KILDARE, Ireland (Special for Turf Diario).— Grand campaigns are also forged through victories where effort is abundant and brilliance takes a backseat. Scandinavia was a far cry Sunday in the Irish St Leger (G1-2800m) from displaying the devastating image of his most recent outings, yet he found a way to prevail and extended his extraordinary winning streak to eight consecutive victories.
Ryan Moore had to work considerably harder than anticipated aboard the son of Justify, who took an eternity to break the resolve of his stablemate Queenstown (Galileo) and even faced a brief threat from Jan Brueghel (Galileo), another Ballydoyle representative.
In the end, Scandinavia made his immense stamina tell, crossing the wire with a 2-length margin over Queenstown, while Jan Brueghel finished third, another 3/4 length back.
It was not a rout. Nor did it need to be. The victory marked the fifth of Scandinavia's 2026 campaign and his eighth straight during a streak that has assumed monumental proportions. Furthermore, he completed a unique St Leger (G1) double, having captured Doncaster's Classic twelve months ago before adding its Irish counterpart, which is open to older horses, to his ledger.
His season has been nothing short of exceptional. Scandinavia gutsily bested Trawlerman (Golden Horn) in the Gold Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot and met him again in the Goodwood Cup (G1), where he blew him away by 8 1/2 lengths, ultimately sending his veteran rival into retirement.
That explosive version did not materialize at The Curragh.
Queenstown set the pace and put up a stubborn fight when Scandinavia came to press him. Moore seemed to have the situation under control throughout, though he only managed to seal the deal inside the final 200 meters.
The jockey even took partial responsibility for the laborious conclusion. “I was always very happy with him and probably should have asked him a bit earlier. He went a bit lazy on me, but he’s a very serious stayer,” explained Moore, who captured the Irish St Leger for the fifth time in the last ten runnings.
The performance must also be viewed within a specific context for Ballydoyle. Hours earlier, Aidan O’Brien had acknowledged that several members of his powerful barn have been battling a low-grade infection, offering a potential explanation for a slight bout of inconsistency following a formidable start to the season and a particularly lucrative Royal Ascot.
Scandinavia, however, never failed to deliver.
“He’s a great horse. He has an incredible amount of stamina and can maintain a high speed for a long time,” explained O’Brien, who notched his eighth victory in the Irish St Leger.
The trainer also noted that the ground was likely as soft as Scandinavia cares for. Given his massive stride, he considers firm surfaces to significantly enhance his attributes.
That factor could prove decisive in determining his path for the remainder of the year.
The Prix du Cadran (G1) naturally looms as a possibility, as does the Long Distance Cup (G1) at Ascot, though O’Brien left the door open for a vastly different alternative: shutting him down for the season and saving him directly for the 2027 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
“I don’t want to overdo it with him. He’s a horse made for the Gold Cup, he floats on firm ground, and he’s had a demanding year. I trained him very hard for Ascot,” he explained.
That approach would also allow targets to be divided among the top three finishers of the Irish St Leger. Queenstowncould head toward the Cadran, where his affinity for heavy ground would be an asset, while Jan Brueghel could target the two-mile contest at Ascot.
The latter, winner of the 2024 Doncaster St Leger, was making his reappearance after three months off and delivered an encouraging performance following health setbacks.
Sunday's card concluded with another display of dominance by the O’Brien family. Aidan captured two of the four G1 events contested at The Curragh, while his sons Joseph and Donnacha split the remaining pair; the former also completed a treble on the afternoon.
And at the epicenter of it all stood Scandinavia once more.
He did not blow the field away or put on a show this time. He had to dig deep, persist, and wait. But he won again. And when a horse manages to win even without showing his absolute best version, the true magnitude of his campaign begins to speak for itself.
Comments