Royal Ascot Day 3: Scandinavia gives O’Brien 100th royal win

On Day 3 of Royal Ascot, Aidan O’Brien became the first trainer to saddle 100 winners at the royal meeting when Scandinavia scored a determined triumph in the historic Gold Cup (G1).

The Gold Cup was the feature event on a seven-race card at Ascot Racecourse, featuring three group stakes.

Gold Cup (G1)

It’s fitting that O’Brien’s milestone victory came in the Gold Cup, a race he’d won nine times previously. Some of O’Brien’s most memorable Royal Ascot winners have starred in the 2 1/2-mile test of stamina, with Yeats scoring four consecutive wins from 2006-09 and Kyprios delivering triumphs in 2022 and 2024.

“This is a very special day for myself and everybody in Ballydoyle. There are so many people involved to help a horse get this far,” said O’Brien.

Scandinavia’s victory will be long remembered not only for its role in O’Brien’s milestone, but for its thrilling finish. Starting as the 8-5 World Pool favorite off five straight wins, including successes in the Goodwood Cup (G1) and St Leger (G1) as a three-year-old last year, Scandinavia spent much of the Gold Cup racing in third place under jockey Ryan Moore, biding his time as defending Gold Cup winner Trawlerman carved out the pace.

Entering the Ascot homestretch, Scandinavia advanced to challenge Trawlerman, but the pacesetter still had something in reserve. Initially, the eight-year-old veteran repulsed Scandinavia’s bid. But Scandinavia was resolute and launched one more charge, carrying him to victory by a head in 4:18.53 over good-to-firm turf.

Scandinavia races for the Coolmore partnership of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier

“Ryan was incredible on Scandinavia – he nursed him and nursed him,” continued O’Brien. “He was perfect until Oisin [Murphy, riding Caballo De Mar] came up and took his slot a little bit. Ryan had to maneuver round him, and at the same time he minded him and didn’t waste any gas. He got him into a position where he wanted him for one last surge.

“That’s just incredible really [100 Royal Ascot winners]. It is something that we wouldn’t dream of thinking about, because for that to happen, you could not believe. Even this week, it’s literally one race at a time, and you don’t even think what it could be or whether it could happen because it’s so competitive, so hard to win races here.”

Trawlerman was gallant in defeat, pulling nine lengths clear of the third-place finisher. The Gold Cup marked his first race since October, and his showing off the eight-month layoff was stellar.

“To me, it was the most exciting race to watch,” said John Gosden, co-trainer of Trawlerman with his son, Thady Gosden. “A phenomenal finish between two magnificent stayers. The staying division when it’s like that is beyond exciting. To do that as an eight-year-old off no prep race, limited preparation time-wise, it was an unbelievable run. He just got caught in the last 10 yards — just there, the lack of a prep run cost him. Going a mile and a quarter on the July Course is not the same as having a two-mile prep run around Sandown, I can tell you!”

Trawlerman’s Gold Cup preparations were hindered by an eye issue that has made him sensitive to sunlight. He missed training time, and at Ascot he wore tinted ski goggles leading up to the Gold Cup.

“Having been sick, having looked like he would never, ever race again, it’s quite extraordinary,” said Gosden. “This horse… we thought, ‘What are we going to do? What are we going to do with him?’ He was in agony at Easter, unable to train him, left him alone, and only managed to train him in the last short period of time. It was the eye trouble. He was in some pain with it, but these goggles have helped, and the vets have done a brilliant job.”

Trawlerman’s stablemate Sweet William took third place, while Al Riffa, Miss Alpilles, Carmers, Al Nayyir, Rahiebb, Dubai Future, Further, and Caballo De Mar completed the order of finish.

“We knew the second horse was a great horse, very brave,” said O’Brien. “Scandinavia joined him, and you don’t know until you go past that two-furlong marker what’s really going to happen, but we felt he was very brave. He always showed that in every race – he’s relentless, he cruises.

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to be involved with the team and be the small part that I am with everybody. The reality is, everyone puts in the work; we watch it going on, and I can’t tell you how grateful we are to everybody.

“Any race you win… we love to be competitive. We love the competitive nature of everything, and we like everybody building up around the race because that’s what everyone has to feel. It was unusual today – we listened, and I was able to hear everybody. The crowd was very big, and the cheer went up when they turned in, but when he went to the front, the sound went up, so I was very surprised at that. The noise got louder and louder, and that’s what it’s all about. What can I say? It was just an incredible feeling.”

Ribblesdale (G2)

The complexion of the 1 1/2-mile Ribblesdale for fillies and mares changed at the start when Lady Roisia unseated jockey Hector Crouch and proceeded to run riderless for the duration of the race. Along the way, Lady Roisia caused trouble for Earth Shot and Johanna Walsh, but that didn’t stop the compromised duo from running 1-2 in a close finish.

Under her own guidance, Lady Roisia dashed to the front of the pack while followed closely by longshot Venetia, who pulled well clear of the rest. Leading the main body of the field was Johanna Walsh, while Earth Shot—the 9-2 third choice in the World Pool—rated in midfield.

The quick tempo may have compromised Johanna Walsh, who was the first to make a run at Venetia and Lady Roisia. And Johanna Walsh was arguably affected again when Lady Roisia crossed in front of her down the homestretch.

Meanwhile, Earth Shot was running into difficulties of her own. Lady Rosia drifted out around the final turn, causing a chain reaction of lane shifting that forced Earth Shot to enter the homestretch extremely wide. Nevertheless, Earth Shot regrouped under jockey James Doyle to launch a sustained rally and catch Johanna Walsh in the final strides, winning by a head.

“Earth Shot helped me out a lot,” said Doyle. “When there’s a loose horse involved, you’re obviously hostage to fortune a bit. I found a lovely, relaxed rhythm; she is that way. She looks at things and takes it all in in a good way, so she saves plenty.

“When we got to the turn, she started to zoom into it really good. I was up behind Ryan [Moore, aboard Composing], and the loose horse must have swerved out, because Ryan swerved and I had to swerve because I was close to his heels. I lost a good bit of momentum there and had to regather her momentum a couple of times up the straight. But once she got organized, she really stuck her neck out.”

The winning time was 2:30.18. Gilded Prize finished one length behind Johanna Walsh in third place, followed by Brillian Star, Composing, Warriors Whisper, Legacy Link, Venetia, Dark Lucinda, Golden Orbit, and Maldives.

William Haggas trains Earth Shot on behalf of Wathnan Racing. Earth Shot arrived at Ascot off a close runner-up finish in the Height of Fashion S. at Goodwood.

“I thought Earth Shot possibly should have won at Goodwood,” said Haggas. “She has always been a beautiful filly, and I’ve always said she wants soft ground.”

Joseph O’Brien, the trainer of Johanna Walsh, noted the trouble encountered by both the winner and the runner-up.

“It was a messy enough race with the loose horse; the loose horse probably interfered with us a bit, and the winner was probably affected as much as we were,” said O’Brien. “We are very proud of her run, delighted for Wells [Watson] who owns her, and Andrew who bought her. She is a daughter of Sea The Stars and has a lovely pedigree. Her best days are ahead of her.”

Recent winners of the Ribblesdale include Warm Heart (2023) and Magic Wand (2018), who later competed with aplomb in North America. Warm Heart ran second by a neck in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), while Magic Wand recorded top-three finishes in a quarter of stateside Grade 1 prizes, including two editions of the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

Hampton Court (G3)

The final group stakes on Day 3 was the Hampton Court for three-year-olds racing 1 1/2 miles. The event ended in an upset as Generic, a 17-1 chance in the World Pool, dashed home on top by one length.

Never far back while racing in the middle of a tight field, Generic worked his way outside in the homestretch and charged home under James Doyle to triumph in 2:04.94.

The next five horses across the finish line were separated by three-quarters of a length, with Endorsement edging Glacius by a head for second place, followed closely by Oceans Four, Maho Bay, and Italy. Mountain Cat, My Love Is King, Morshdi, and Oxagon trailed the field.

Owned by J. C. Smith, Generic is trained by Andrew Balding.

“I thought James gave Generic a peach of a ride and was always confident that, when he peeled out, he was going to find something,” said Balding. “I am delighted.”

In other Royal Ascot results, Nola Soul defeated 13 juveniles to take the Chesham S.; Enceladus prevailed by half a length in the King George V Stakes handicap; Moonfall conquered 29 rivals in the Brittania Stakes handicap, and Mezcala prevailed by a neck in the Buckingham Palace Stakes handicap.