Scandinavia Defends the Goodwood Cup on an Afternoon Racing Won't Forget
Aidan O'Brien's champion stayer won by eight and a half lengths through loose-horse chaos — on a day overshadowed by the fatal injury to the great Trueshan.
Glorious Goodwood opened Tuesday with a performance that settled any argument about the world's best stayer — and a loss that put the whole afternoon in perspective.
Scandinavia, in a different league
Scandinavia, the 6-5 favourite, defended his Goodwood Cup crown by a commanding eight and a half lengths under Ryan Moore, covering the two miles in 3:23.53, per Thoroughbred Daily News. The four-year-old son of Justify has now won seven straight races, adding a second Goodwood Cup to the Gold Cup he took at Royal Ascot. Trainer Aidan O'Brien called it probably as good a staying performance as he has seen from the colt, and said Scandinavia will keep racing "as long as he is able to stay safe and sound."
The race itself was chaotic. Amiloc unshipped Hector Crouch at the start, and the loose horse later swept back through the straight and hampered Trawlerman, William Buick's mount, just as he tried to mount a challenge. "The loose horse came back and visited us again and, once you check and lose your rhythm, that's it," Buick said. Trawlerman still ran on for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Rahiebb in third — though on this evidence, a clean trip wouldn't have changed the result.
The loss of Trueshan
The day's real story was sadder. Trueshan, the nine-year-old star of Alan King's yard, broke down mid-race with a fractured left hind pastern and was pulled up by Hollie Doyle. Veterinarians determined the injury was not survivable, the BBC reported. "His left hind pastern broke and left him in a situation that wasn't recoverable from," said the BHA's James Given.
Trueshan won 16 of his 34 starts, including three Long Distance Cups at Ascot, two runnings of the Prix du Cadran and the 2021 Goodwood Cup — the day Doyle became the first female jockey to win the race. He was one of the most popular stayers of his generation, and Goodwood, where he made history, is where his story ended.