By Sean Cronin
Coolmore's Scandinavia (Justify) has undertaken Ballydoyle's tried-and-trusted route towards next month's G1 Gold Cup and last term's G1 St Leger and G1 Goodwood Cup hero backed up his win in last month's Listed Vintage Crop Stakes on seasonal return with a workmanlike performance in Friday's G3 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown.
“This was the perfect race to bridge the gap [to Royal Ascot] and we'll get more serious as we go along,” said Aidan O'Brien. “He's a big, relaxed horse and we couldn't be happier really. Ryan [Moore] was very happy and said he ended up getting there and he was just waiting. Those type of horses, that's what they do, they just get very relaxed. I'm delighted.”
Improving upon an early third to stalk old foe Dallas Star (Cloth Of Stars) heading onto the back straight, the 2-9 favourite was scrubbed along to gain an edge soon after passing the quarter-mile, but required forceful late urging to hold Happy Pharoah (American Pharoah) by a half-length for a fifth consecutive win.
Willie Mullins trainee Le Destrier (Le Havre), off the track for the best part of two years, stayed on well to finish 3/4-of-a-length back in third.
Scandinavia 👀
It's five in a row now for the dual Group 1 winner in the €70,000 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes.
Closer than expected (!) but some pretty fast late splits inside in the final half mile.
What do you think? @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/HuojISjvkr
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 15, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Scandinavia is the sixth of eight foals and one of three winners out of an unraced sibling of eight black-type performers headed by multiple Group 1-winning sire Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat).
He is a half-brother to G1 Prix Saint-Alary victrix Above The Curve (American Pharoah), the dual Group 3-placed Thinking Of You (American Pharoah), a two-year-old colt by No Nay Never and a yearling filly by Siyouni.
Galileo-sired descendants of his second dam Mariah's Storm (Rahy), herself kin to Group 1-placed sire Panoramic (Rainbow Quest), include sires Gleneagles, Decorated Knight and Taj Mahal, Classic heroines Marvellous and Joan Of Arc, multiple Group 1-winning distaffer Happily and elite-level performers Vatican City, Coolmore and Toy.
Friday, Leopardstown, Ireland
SAVAL BEG LEVMOSS STAKES-G3, €70,000, Leopardstown, 5-15, 4yo/up, 14fT, 3:00.93, gd.
1–SCANDINAVIA, 136, c, 4, by Justify
1st Dam: Fabulous (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mariah's Storm, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Immense, by Roberto
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €42,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, 10-6-1-1, $1,178,252. *1/2 to Above The Curve (American Pharoah), G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng; and Thinking Of You (American Pharoah), MGSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Happy Pharoah (Ire), 131, g, 4, American Pharoah–Happily (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€45,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-F W Lynch; B-Coolmore; T-Donnacha O'Brien. €14,000.
3–Le Destrier (Ire), 131, h, 7, Le Havre (Ire)–Quanzhou (Fr), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€40,000 Ylg '20 ARDEAY). O-Stawomir Pegza; B-Haras de la Perelle; T-Willie Mullins. €7,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.22, 18.00, 33.00.
Also Ran: Leinster (Ire), Dallas Star (Fr), Mont St Michel (Ire).
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