Sweet William (Ire)

In one of the very finest of Gold Cups, Scandinavia (Justify) ousted Trawlerman (Golden Horn) to provide a fitting crowning moment for Aidan O'Brien as the Ballydoyle maestro reached 100 Royal Ascot winners. Coming of age in the race that draws unusual sentiment, the 11-8 favourite needed every yard of the two-and-a-half mile trip to wear down the Gosdens' gallant title-holder and for most of it looked unlikely to do so. But, with Ryan Moore at his formidable best, Scandinavia got it done very late to add suitable drama and...

Thursday's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot will see 11 stayers line up, with Ballydoyle's Scandinavia (Justify) set to tackle last year's hero Trawlerman (Golden Horn) in a clash to savour. Last year's St Leger hero will be the sole runner for Aidan O'Brien as the trainer seeks a record-extending 10th renewal, with Godolphin's Trawlerman one of two for the Gosdens alongside Normandie Stud's stalwart Sweet William (Sea The Stars). Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Leger runner-up and Yorkshire Cup winner Rahiebb (Frankel), Victorious Forever's Prix du Cadran and Prix Vicomtesse Vigier hero Caballo...

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'...

One of Britain's most beloved stayers, Normandie Stud's homebred Sweet William (Sea The Stars) came good again on Friday to add his name to an illustrious list who have won the G2 Doncaster Cup more than once. Left behind at the start, the 10-11 favourite was coaxed into contention by Robert Havlin and after moving to the three-year-old Pendragon (Camelot) approaching two out stormed clear for an emphatic 3 3/4-length success. "These staying races are a whole lot of fun and he's a wonderful old horse," John Gosden said. "He...

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)...

All the drama involving Ballydoyle's Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) hopefully seems to be firmly in the past as the monster stayer returned to the Sussex Downs for a second G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, setting a new track record to put the cherry on top. Sent up by Ryan Moore to keep tabs on the cat-and-mouse leading duo from the outset, the 8-13 favourite needed niggling at various stages to close the gap but quickly responded each time and by the time he found himself in...

Ballydoyle's miracle horse Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is back at the scene of one of his finest hours on Tuesday as he descends on the Sussex Downs for another tilt at the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup. Denied a follow-up to his memorable 2022 success over Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) due to last year's potentially catastrophic injury, the Moyglare homebred announced his return from the brink and how with another dynamic display to win a second G1 Gold Cup at the Royal meeting last month. It could be...

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...

Beaten in the G2 Doncaster Cup last season, Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) showed his story is far from finished back in that Town Moor feature on Friday as he registered an unorthodox success returning from a break. Only fourth in the G3 Sagaro S. when last seen in May, the Singula Partnership's 7-year-old had undergone wind surgery in the interim and there were obvious questions as to whether he could get back to his previous pinnacle in the staying division. Things looked dubious for the 100-30 shot in the back...

Causing an upset when edging out Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) in a thriller for last year's G2 Doncaster Cup, one of the staying division's leaders Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) returns to Town Moor for another encounter with his nemesis on Friday. Having won Ascot's G3 Sagaro S. and the G2 Lonsdale Cup at York and been runner-up in the G1 Gold Cup in the interim, Mick and Janice Mariscotti's stalwart is better than ever at the age of six and is the one with the target on his back this...