Trawlerman Defies Time and an Eye Problem to Defend His Crown in the Gold Cup

The extraordinary Godolphin stayer will arrive at Royal Ascot without any preparatory races and could wear unusual dark goggles due to a rare sensitivity to light

NEWMARKET, England (Special to Turf Diario).– The countdown to the Gold Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot features Trawlerman as one of its main protagonists, as he will look to repeat the spectacular triumph achieved a year ago despite going through a situation as peculiar as it is challenging.

The Godolphin representative, trained by John and Thady Gosden, developed an unusual eye problem in recent months that has made him extremely sensitive to sunlight and overly bright environments, a condition that has forced modifications to part of his daily routine.

In fact, the veteran son of Golden Horn was recently seen working at Newmarket wearing striking dark goggles under the guidance of his regular jockey, William Buick.

The situation is so specific that he is currently housed in the darkest stall available at Clarehaven Stables, a measure aimed at minimizing the discomfort caused by light exposure.

According to John Gosden, the team is even evaluating the possibility of the horse wearing those goggles during the pre-race movements next June 18, although he would not compete with them on.

"He now wears those goggles in training to help him with his eyes, and we plan to take them to Ascot. Not to race in them, but for the pre-race moments. We are still sorting out some regulatory aspects with the British Horseracing Authority," the trainer commented.

Beyond that setback, Trawlerman seems to have arrived in optimal condition to attempt a defense of the title conquered in 2025, when he demolished his rivals by 7 lengths in the British calendar's most important race for stayers.

That victory definitively confirmed the class of the horse, who subsequently closed the season by also prevailing in the Long Distance Cup (G1), contested over the same Ascot track last October.

The big question mark surrounds his lack of racing activity. At 8 years old, he will face the Gold Cup without any preparatory outings and with just one demanding piece of work recently completed on the July course at Newmarket.

"It is a significant demand for an eight-year-old horse to make a reappearance directly in a race of this level, but he seems to be very well," Gosden assured.

Currently, Trawlerman ranks among the main candidates in the betting, though behind the favorite Scandina (Justify), who leads the preferences for the traditional 4000-meter competition.

The powerful Gosden stable will also possess other important cards during the Royal Ascot week. Among them, Ombudsman stands out, attempting to repeat his success in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) against an opposition that promises to be much more demanding than that of a year ago.

"Ombudsman is doing very well, but the race looks even stronger than last year's edition. We are pleased with his preparation, and he arrives on the back of a very good performance at Sandown," the trainer explained, referencing the recent victory of the son of Night of Thunder in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (G3).

In addition, the barn could send out Damysus (Frankel) in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), Friendly Soul (Kingman) in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2), and the promising Water To Wine (Kingman)—absent from the Epsom Derby (G1)—in the King Edward VII Stakes (G2).

Nevertheless, much of the attention will be focused on Trawlerman, a warrior seeking to rewrite his name in Gold Cup history while fighting a very different battle off the track.