3-year-old Scandinavia wins Group 1 Goodwood Cup

Scandinavia emerged as the new kid on the staying block as he bested stablemate Illinois in a ding-dong finish to the feature Group 1 Goodwood Cup on Tuesday.

Lining up after a wide-margin success in the Bahrain Trophy (G3), Scandinavia needed every yard of two miles under Wayne Lordan, mastering front-runner Illinois close home after a sustained battle.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair pulled 2 1/2 lengths clear of Sweet William, who once again at this track failed to travel with his usual fluency. The race was overshadowed by a fatal injury to 2021 winner Trueshan, who was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle mid-contest.

Scandinavia, a son of Justify, is the first 3-year-old to take the Goodwood Cup since Stradivarius in 2017.

“I am delighted,” O'Brien said. “Wayne gave Scandinavia a brilliant ride. He ran a lovely race at Ascot when Wayne rode him, as he got trapped six wide all the way but he kept coming and coming, and then Ryan rode him at Newmarket and said he was a very good horse. He said he stays forever and is very classy.

“Thanks to the lads, they said why not come here and run him against Illinois? Scandinavia is a typical Justify. They just won’t lie down. They are Galileos, but more class, and he showed there exactly what they are. They keep putting their head out, keep going forward, and they are so genuine.

“The lads will make those decisions (about the St Leger and so on), but obviously Lambourn didn't go to the King George because Jan Brueghel was going there, so he has his eye on the Voltigeur, and then he could go anywhere after that – to an Arc or a St Leger. All of those things are open, but I’d say this horse looks ready made for the St Leger as he stays forever, handled an ease in the ground here today, and is very straightforward.

“I thought Ryan did everything perfect today on Illinois. He was out there and had the race won, and then the other horse just came and got him. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Illinois yet because I think we went to the Gold Cup a year too early and his preparation wasn’t right to win a Gold Cup. He ran an unbelievable race, and he’ll have the rest of the season. But often when that happens, it can stop the progression you would really want to come. I really think we haven’t seen the best of him yet.”

“Credit to Scandinavia, he has improved all year," Lordan said. “He was stepping up to two miles today against the older horses. It was a tough task, but I thought he stepped forward quite well.

“Ryan’s horse Illinois has gone this trip before and doesn’t mind making the running, so I was happy to follow. It was a little bit rough at one stage, but when everyone settled into it, I got a smooth run around.

“Illinois is a very genuine horse, a Group 1 horse, and this horse was stepping into his company today. He had never run in that company before, so today was going to find out how smart he is. Obviously, he is a very smart stayer.

“He likes fast ground and is an easy-going horse. Even though he was getting there without me going 100 per cent, when I got stuck into him, he went forward and won nicely. Kyprios wasn't here this year and my fella was stepping up. I think next year, he could be the strong horse in the race. He is quite a tall horse and Justifys improve with time.”

Lennox Stakes

Dr. Richard Newland and Jamie Insole registered their first major victory on the flat as Witness Stand sprung a 25-1 surprise in a dramatic Group 2 Lennox Stakes at the Goodwood Festival on Tuesday.

There was drama even before the gates opened when two-time Lennox Stakes winner Kinross was withdrawn after being kicked by Audience, and soon after the start, Royal Ascot winner Noble Champion was pulled up by Kieran Shoemark.

The seven-furlong contest was run at a searching gallop, with three horses going clear from an early stage. One of those was Witness Stand, who travelled up strongly over two furlongs out and never looked in any danger afterward under Hollie Doyle.

Lake Forest fared best of those from off the pace as he went down by almost three lengths in second, while last year’s winner Audience was third having been unable to go with the winner in the straight.

It is a breakout success for Newland and Insole, who started training in partnership in 2023. Insole was formerly assistant trainer to Charlie Hills.

“I have been involved in a lot of big winners, and to actually train one myself is pretty special,” Jamie Insole said. “My grandad was a jockey and a trainer, and my uncle Will Kennedy was a National Hunt jockey. So racing is in the blood and I did them all proud today. …

“I already had this race in mind and he ran a great race at Chester last time, when they broke the track record. The bit of ease in the ground helped him and he looked pretty good. 

“I wouldn’t have run him if we didn’t think he had a good chance. The Chester run gave us confidence to come here. It is lucky that I put him in the Group One Prix de la Foret this morning. That is looking like a pretty good idea now. He is in the Hungerford Stakes but will have to carry a penalty in that now, so we will see. 

“We have had an amazing season. That is 27 winners now. We have a really good team. Hopefully we can keep going and keep getting these big winners.”

“A great training performance by Jamie Insole and Dr Richard Newland, plus everyone back at home, to get this horse back on track, not winning in handicap company but in group company,” Doyle said.

“He has some really good form, is a listed winner and on ratings he wasn't far behind Audience.  He had quite a lot to prove but he stood up. It is a bit of a shock to the system, but Jamie wasn't shocked.”

Vintage Stakes

July Stakes (G2) winner Zavateri remained unbeaten after denying Morris Dancer in a cracking finish to the Vintage Stakes (G2) at the Goodwood Festival on Tuesday.

Stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time, Zavateri saw out his race strongly having had a smooth passage in the straight, digging deep to fend off the fast-finishing Morris Dancer by a short head. Coventry Stakes (G2) runner-up Do Or Do Not was almost two lengths farther back in third.

The Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Zavateri is now unbeaten in three starts and, having successfully conceded a Group 2 penalty all round, will now have Group 1 targets on his agenda.

“Zavateri is just so tough,” Johnson Houghton said. “He had to win his race twice, as he came to win it and then William (Buick) came at him (on Morris Dancer) and he had to go again. He just amazes me, what a dude he is, what a lovely, lovely horse.

“He gets a bit toey when he gets to the races but only because he wants to get on with it. Apart from that, he is just so straightforward, whether it’s at home or in a race. The staff do an amazing job, but he is not a hard ride. Everyone loves him and he is easy to do.

“It was very punchy to come for this race under a penalty but where else do you go? He's going to have to take a penalty somewhere because the Group 1 races aren't until September, October. It was either here or wait until Doncaster, and I thought go here and then we can have a nice break until the Dewhurst. Dad trained (2002 Dewhurst winner) Tout Seul when I was around, and he was brilliant, but this one would be better, I think. There’s nowhere to go now before the Dewhurst, so we’ll have to wait for that.”

“When you're riding in these races, you are riding against the best jockeys, but you can't let that affect the way you ride,” jockey Charlie Bishop said. “Eve was thinking the same as me, we ride him quietly and with no pressure. She is a dream to ride for on these days. When things are going well, you have confidence in each other and that really helps.

“Zavateri came through and beat the horses around him, and then William's come over the top, but this horse's tenacity and attitude to win is unbelievable. He is really tough, has a great will to win and obviously he is very good.

“It was a massive performance with a penalty. I don't know how much more racing he will have this year, but the Dewhurst will be where we work back from. After that then I think we can talk about the Guineas. He has seen the seven furlongs out extremely well and was strong at the line.

“Anyone who is riding would be lying if they said they don't want to be riding at the top level; for me, it is very important to have these horses to ride. Eve and I get on extremely well and I'd like to think that we are pretty good at our jobs together. We've got lucky owners, Mick and Janice, they're not just lucky, they're brilliant and deserve every success they get.”

Chesterfield Cup

John and Thady Gosden made a flying start to the 2025 Goodwood Festival as progressive 4-year-old Westridge posted a decisive victory in the Chesterfield Cup on Tuesday.

Westridge was well backed through the day and the son of Blue Point justified that market confidence by gliding through the 10-furlong handicap under a confident Billy Loughnane, who was having his first ride for the stable.

When Loughnane pushed the button, Westridge shot clear to win by just over three lengths, atoning for a short-priced reversal at Windsor last time out. Baaeed’s half-brother Naqeeb was second, with Defiance and Bolster, who was promoted to fourth by the stewards, filling the minor places.

“Westridge enjoyed the space around him today, and Billy gave him a lovely ride,’’ John Gosden said. “It is not easy in a big handicap field, but he broke well and made good use of him.

“Westridge is owned by Glen Manchester, my wife and Nicholas Wrigley, so it is a proper partnership. We did have him in the July sales but wisely chose to take him out three days before the sale. The handicapper will have him now, but to win the Chesterfield Cup is a dream come true because Glen is very much Goodwood orientated. 

‘‘He worse a sheepskin noseband because he is not very good at concentrating. Otherwise, he would have been looking for low-flying seagulls! He will have to go to York next, but I don’t know what we will run him in.’’ 

“Speaking to Mr Gosden beforehand, he was keen for me to try and get a little bit of room up the straight,’’ Loughnane said. ‘‘Thankfully, the race went smoothly and Westridge accelerated nicely. When I got him out into a bit of daylight, he really picked up and extended well to the line.

"It rode like lovely ground, good genuine ground; they're making a little bit of a print into it, but it was enjoyable ground and they have done a great job.”