Scandinavia Prevails Over Illinois in a Classic Coolmore Duel to Seal Goodwood Cup Victory

The colt showed a tremendous amount of class to defeat the favorite; he will now target the St Leger (G1) at Doncaster

Scandinavia battled hard down the stretch to catch Illinois—and got the job done / GOODWOOD

CHICHESTER, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- On Tuesday, the colt Scandinavia stamped himself as one of the finest emerging stayers in Europe by capturing a gripping edition of the prestigious Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (G1, 3200m, soft turf), the centerpiece event on the opening day of the festival at the southern English track.

Ridden by Wayne Lordan and locked in a memorable head-to-head battle with stablemate Illinois (Galileo), the son of Justify secured another major success for trainer Aidan O’Brien and the powerful Coolmore operation. Scandinavia also became the first 3-year-old to win this race since Stradivarius (Sea the Stars) achieved the feat in 2017.

Coming off a commanding victory in the Bahrain Trophy (G3), Scandinavia needed every inch of the course to hold off the courageous Illinois, who set the pace and gave his all, finally conceding by a half-length. Some 2 ½ lengths further back was Sweet William (Sea the Stars), who once again struggled to make an impact on this track. Unfortunately, the contest was overshadowed by the fatal injury to Trueshan (Planteur), the 2021 winner, who was pulled up by Hollie Doyle halfway through and later euthanized due to the severity of the injury.

“I’m delighted. Wayne gave him a fantastic ride and the colt responded just as we expected,” said O’Brien. “At Ascot, he ran brilliantly despite always racing wide, and then at Newmarket Ryan [Moore] said he was a very special horse. Today confirmed that: he’s a typical Justify — class and heart. They never give up, always keep putting their head in front. They’re like Galileo’s but with more spark.”

Asked about future plans, the Irish trainer added: “I think this horse is tailor-made for the St Leger. He’s shown he can handle two kilometers, managed the soft ground well, and is very professional. Illinois also ran very well. Perhaps we took him to the Gold Cup too early. I’m convinced we haven’t yet seen the best of that horse.”

For Lordan, recording his first Goodwood Cup success, “Scandinavia has improved a lot. It was his first time stepping up to two miles and facing more experienced horses, and he didn’t look out of place. Illinois did everything right, so it made sense to follow him. My horse responded when asked and left a fantastic impression. He’s tall, strong, and like all Justifys, should continue to progress. I think next year he could be very tough here again.”

Meanwhile, Sweet William appeared uncomfortable once more on this course. Trainer John Gosden commented, “He ran with courage and we’re happy enough. Now we’ll look towards York and Doncaster, where the more galloping tracks suit him.” Jockey Robert Havlin was more blunt: “He’s never comfortable here. I don’t know why, but he just doesn’t travel like he does elsewhere.”

Finally, David Menuisier, trainer of Sunway (Galiway), who finished further back, was realistic: “He was clearly outpaced. He runs well from 2400 to 3200 meters but is a step behind the best. As long as Aidan’s horses are around, we’ll be fighting for places. Maybe we’ll try our luck in France in the Kergorlay or the Cadran to find a slightly easier path.”

The 2024 Goodwood Cup has crowned Scandinavia as a new leading stayer, promising plenty more to come through the remainder of the year and especially into 2025.