Buick Nails The Fractions As Trawlerman Takes The Gold Cup

Godolphin's seven-year-old gelding Trawlerman (Golden Horn) encountered a giant when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Gold Cup last year and, with old foe Kyprios having departed stage left, kept matters simple and made all for an emphatic seven-length defeat of Coolmore's Illinois (Galileo) in the meeting's 2 1/2-mile feature. His winning time of 4:15.02 was a new track record and eclipsed the benchmark, set by Rite Of Passage 15 years ago, by nearly two seconds.

The 85-40 favourite was in front from flagfall and set a modest tempo on the long run to the judge first time and well beyond. Rider William Buick upped the pace when giving his mount a gentle squeeze with 3/4-of-a-mile remaining and soon had the majority of his seven opponents floundering. Coming under pressure on the home turn as Illinois was sent in pursuit, he was ridden safely clear approaching the final furlong and, with that rival failing to make further inroads, increased his margin of superiority in the closing stages to provide Buick with a first victory in the contest. Saeed bin Suroor trainee Dubai Future (Dubawi) came from another county to finish another seven lengths adrift in third and added lustre to the result for Godolphin. It was a fifth win for John Gosden, who already has Stradivarius and Courage Mon Ami on the roll of honour.

“Trawlerman just goes off, off they went together and picked it up from five out,” said Gosden. “He is an out-and-out galloper and William [Buick] judged it perfectly. It is not an easy thing to do over two-and-a-half miles. On the basis he stays, if anyone is going to go by him, they will know they have been in a race, but they never got to him because he simply outstayed them. He is a wonderful old horse, and a great team look after him. He is a favourite at home and part of the furniture, really.”

Reflecting on last year's effort before turning to the future, the trainer continued, “He ran Kyprios to a length last year and they were both all out. I think he deserved, with Kyprios not here, to come back and show that he is a proper horse. We like the Cup races and those lovely staying horses. I like a horse that can go the distance and then go, and you can't catch them. That is style. I think he should be aimed at coming back next year, and he shouldn't be over-raced at all in between. Do not be surprised if you don't see him again until the Henry II next year. That could be a reality and I will discuss it with Sheikh Mohammed, but he doesn't need to be going to all these races. He might come back here in the autumn [for the G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup], he's won that before, and then put him away.”

William Buick was visibly elated after steering Trawlerman to a five-length victory in last month's G3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown, and equally so in the aftermath of a first success in this contest. “I was so happy with this fellow when he won at Sandown,” the rider said. “He had a beautiful prep and was just so smooth throughout the race today. He's really what you want in a two-and-a-half-mile race. I did not have to touch the brakes once and he was on autopilot. He knows his own speed and stays well, so I was just a passenger. We tried the same tactics last year and we were only beaten by the great Kyprios. To win a Gold Cup, of course, it's right at the top. It is an extraordinary race. It is two-and-a-half miles, an extreme distance, at Royal Ascot. This is the greatest week of horseracing and Trawlerman went down so narrowly in the race last year, so to get it right this year means the world.”

The Aidan O'Brien-Ryan Moore axis remains one shy of a 150th Group 1 win after Illinois was unable to eyeball Trawlerman at any stage. “We thought he would be a Gold Cup horse next year and the plan was for Kyprios to come here this year and Illinois would step up next year,” explained O'Brien. “The plan was for Illinois to go to the Coronation [Cup], so I was training him as a good mile-and-a-half horse. When Kyprios retired, we switched him to this race and we have to be happy with the run. He had a lovely preparation the last day and maybe, if we knew he was coming here straightaway, we might have had him going earlier and maybe lighter. He might go to Goodwood and I would imagine he will progress again. He got tired at the two-furlong pole today, like a lot of horses do, and we will see if we can improve him another little bit for this distance. It shows how good Kyprios was, as Trawlerman had been second to him a couple of times.”

Dubai Future's trainer Saeed bin Suroor, who notched his first winner of this year's meet later on the card, has five renewals of this marathon in the books and was delighted with the effort of the third home. “He ran really well and he stayed. We will drop him back to two miles, maybe Goodwood [for the G1 Goodwood Cup]. I said to James McDonald to drop him in and get him to relax, but also that as a Dubawi, he must have speed. He is an amazing horse, who has won over a mile-and-a-half and a mile-and-a-quarter.”

Pedigree Notes

Trawlerman, who becomes the first Group 1 winner for his sire, is the fourth of six foals and leading performer from two scorers produced by G3 Deutsches St Leger second Tidespring (Monsun), herself one of three stakes performers out of G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Sweet Stream (Shantou). Tidespring is kin to stakes-winning G3 Munster Oaks third Loveisthehigherlaw (Kodiac) and Listed Radley Stakes third Sweet Dream (Oasis Dream). Sweet Stream is the leading performer out of the stakes-placed Snug Dinner (Jareer) while Sweet Dream produced G3 Prix Penelope victrix Making Dreams (Make Believe). Snug Dinner, the best daughter of the stakes-placed Stand By Me (Home Guard), is the second dam of Listed Premio Royal Mares victrix Testa O Croce (Orpen).

TRAWLERMAN IS THE 2025 GOLD CUP HERO! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/KpFZ8A6QZg

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2025

Thursday, Ascot, Britain
GOLD CUP-G1, £650,000, Ascot, 6-19, 4yo/up, 19f 210yT, 4:15.02 (NTR), g/f.
1–TRAWLERMAN (IRE), 130, g, 7, by Golden Horn (GB)
1st Dam: Tidespring (Ire) (MGSP-Ger & SP-Fr), by Monsun (Ger)
2nd Dam: Sweet Stream (Ity), by Shantou
3rd Dam: Snug Dinner (Ire), by Jareer
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Godolphin; T-John & Thady Gosden; J-William Buick. £368,615. Lifetime Record: GSP-UAE, 21-9-1-5, $1,828,506. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Illinois (Ire), 129, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Danedrop (Ire), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien. £139,750.
3–Dubai Future (GB), 130, g, 9, Dubawi (Ire)–Anjaz, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin; T-Saeed bin Suroor. £69,940.
Margins: 7, 7, 4 3/4. Odds: 2.13, 2.25, 28.00.
Also Ran: Sweet William (Ire), Coltrane (Ire), Candelari (Ire), Yashin (Ire). DNF: Wonder Legend (Ire).