Trawlerman (Ire)

Godolphin's G1 Gold Cup victor Trawlerman (Golden Horn), who has also picked up wins in this term's G3 Henry II Stakes and G2 Lonsdale Cup, sealed his status as the year's outstanding stayer with another defeat of his John and Thady Gosden-trained stablemate Sweet William (Sea The Stars), in race-record time, in Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. "Trawlerman is a relentless galloper and I couldn't be more thrilled with him," beamed John Gosden. "It is late in the year for him and he has been...

Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion Stakes will feature all the big guns, with Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), Delacroix (Dubawi), Calandagan (Gleneagles) and Economics (Night Of Thunder) set for a memorable showdown. There will be 11 in the line-up for the feature, where the draw has not been kind to Ombudsman and Economics in nine and 10 respectively but has been to the race's most intriguing runner Almaqam (Lope De Vega) in stall one. There will be 16 lining up for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, with Juddmonte and the Gosdens'...

Royal Ascot's G1 Gold Cup hero Trawlerman (Golden Horn) went postward as the odds-on favourite for Thursday's G2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes at York and, towing home fellow Clarehaven representative Sweet William (Sea The Stars), emulated his John and Thady Gosden-trained former stablemate Stradivarius by winning the two-mile York marathon as a seven-year-old. "The three-year-old [Shackleton] made it a test of stamina, Trawlerman was giving him a full stone in weight, and they made a lovely race of it together," said John Gosden. "You go 15 rounds with this boy...

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...

Aidan O'Brien will seek a 10th Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday, with his prospects whittled down to just Illinois (Galileo) in the meeting's prestige feature. Last year's G2 Queen's Vase winner will take on the Aga Khan Studs representative Candelari (Frankel) from the Francis-Henri Graffard stable and that G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier winner is like him a newcomer to these Cup races. Old stagers Trawlerman (Golden Horn) and Sweet William (Sea The Stars) are back again, while the All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap winner Wonder Legend (Sea The Stars)...

It's QIPCO British Champions Day, so it stands to reason that we are talking about autumn soft ground as the European flat season continues to turn on its axis. Where the summer specialists City Of Troy (Justify), Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) are missing for varying reasons, the way is open for those who relish the kind of test this surface provides. Every one of the five pattern races on Ascot's fixture boasts at...

Ascot's Qipco British Champions Day took its final shape on Thursday morning, with the middle-distance heavyweights Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) heading a 12-strong cast for Saturday's £1.3-million G1 Qipco Champion Stakes. Isa Salman Al Khalifa's G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner and The Aga Khan's G1 Juddmonte International runner-up are joined by the G1 Irish Derby third Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), one of two for Ballydoyle, and another French raider in Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) who gives to provide Marie Velon with a...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, 17 horses remain in contention for Saturday's G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot, including the top-class three-year-olds Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Calandagan (Ire) in what has the makings of a blockbuster clash. Trained by William Haggas, Economics is unbeaten in four starts this season, culminating with a first Group 1 victory in last month's Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, while French challenger Calandagan confirmed himself a major force to be reckoned with when filling the runner-up spot behind the outstanding City Of Troy (Justify)...

A total of 227 entries have been received for the five Group contests scheduled to take place on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot, it was announced on Tuesday. This is the largest number since 2018 and includes a record 56-strong entry for the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes, the feature race on the card slated for Saturday, October 19. The 56 horses entered for the Champion Stakes have won 37 Group 1 races between them, with Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) boasting the most decorated CV as a six-time...

Royal Ascot winners Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) and English Oak (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) both feature prominently in the betting for the G1 My Pension Expert July Cup after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. A total of 23 horses remain in contention for the first big clash of the generations at the six-furlong trip, which will be run at Newmarket on Saturday, July 13 and offers total prize-money of £600,000. Inisherin ran out a dominant winner of the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, having been sent off a...

If you believe that Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the best stayer to emerge from Ballydoyle since Yeats (Ire), then it could be said that all those that lined up for last year's G1 Gold Cup in his absence were granted a stay of execution. Back to Royal Ascot on Thursday with his severe injury woes behind him, the latest sakura from the ever-flourishing branch of one of Moyglare's great trees is one of the week's major stories. Aidan O'Brien described ahead of last year's G1 Irish St Leger bid...

Ten stayers will line up in Thursday's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, with the 2022 title-holder Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looking to regain his crown having missed out through injury 12 months ago. He will be Aidan O'Brien's sole runner, while John and Thady Gosden saddle a trio in Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), Godolphin's Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) and Normandie Stud's Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Willie Mullins has booked Colin Keane for the ride on the Riccis' Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), while...