Aidan O’Brien is “delighted” with Scandinavia as Ballydoyle’s superstar stayer targets his seventh successive victory in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup at Goodwood on Tuesday.

The four-year-old edged out Trawlerman in a battle for the ages at Royal Ascot, and the pair will face off over two miles this time around.

Scandinavia last tasted defeat in the Queen’s Vase in June 2025 and Trawlerman is likely to have his work cut out to stop the Justify colt from successfully defending his crown on Tuesday.

“Everything has gone well with him since Ascot, and all this year as well. We were delighted with him at Ascot. He’s in good form,” O’Brien said.

On his winning run, the master trainer added: “We don’t ever think too much about those things – I didn’t even realise that to tell you the truth. We take one race at a time and we’re just delighted to have him.”

Trawlerman reopposes after his gallant performance at the Royal meeting, his first outing of the year and where he went stride for stride with his younger foe before coming up a head short.

Thady Gosden, who trains the eight-year-old alongside his father John, is confident of another strong performance from the Golden Horn gelding, now famed for wearing ski goggles in the preliminaries to help with an eye condition.

“He’s been working nicely with his goggles on, which he seems to quite like now really and he seems to miss them when he’s not wearing them,” said the younger Gosden.

“I’m sure it’ll be a tough race, taking on the same horses again, or similar horses to the Gold Cup and we’ll see how he gets on.

“It’s obviously not easy running for the first time at Royal Ascot let alone over two-and-a-half miles, but he ran a huge race in the Gold Cup, obviously giving weight to younger horses as well. Maybe that made a difference, maybe it didn’t.

“But he’s come out of it very well and he’s been in fantastic form since. It’s a track he hasn’t run at for a long time and since he was four where he won over one-mile-six, albeit in a handicap.

“It’s two miles this time, but it’s still a trip he’s won over. Of course he won at Ascot last year at the two miles, but it’s slightly different to two miles at Goodwood.

“But he goes in good order and two miles should suit him well. He seems to have taken a step forward since Ascot and it’s worked him up a little bit as well.”

Connections are hopeful the Charlie Johnston-trained Lazy Griff can show he can mix it with the best of the division after his own comeback mission from an injury lay-off saw him most recently land Listed honours at Sandown.

“He was a little bit under cooked the first time out at Sandown, but with that run under his belt he was spot on last time,” said Mike Prince of owners Middleham Park Racing.

“He did it nicely that day, he showed that he saw out the two miles well and he was a little bit lazy. It was a bit of a funny race because they didn’t go a great gallop.

“He was a bit lazy when he hit the front so we’ve put cheekpieces on for the first time, just to sharpen him up.

“Although it’s a smallish field, they will travel a little bit faster and that will help him. I think the better pace they go, the more he will settle into his rhythm, like he did in the two Derbys. I think the pace will suit him.

“I suppose since he ran in the Irish Derby, he hasn’t really had the chance to increase his rating, so I think this is his opportunity.

“I don’t think he’d have been far away in the Leger last year and this is the chance to mix it and show what he can do again at Group level.”

The Gosdens have a two-pronged attack with French Master following his second in the marathon Queen Alexandra Stakes last time out.

“He ran in the longest Flat race in the UK last time and ran a huge race,” Thady Gosden added.

“He has come out of it well and will appreciate the drop back down to two miles. It’s a tough ask, but he stays the trip well and he’s in good form.”

In contrast, Ralph Beckett’s Amiloc will attempt two miles for the first time in his career.

Patrick Cooper, racing manager to owners David and Vimy Aykroyd, said: “It’s an itch that has to be scratched and we have to find out if he stays two miles. Ralph was very keen and the King George obviously came up looking incredibly hot.

“This is as tough a staying race as you can probably find, but we’ll find out which way we’re going afterwards.

“We’re in against the best stayers around, as you’d expect for a Group One, but we’re going to learn plenty.”

O’Brien also has a second dart in Queen Alexandra winner Illinois, Roger Varian’s Rahieeb aims to better what might have been a non-staying eighth in the Gold Cup and Miss Alpilles is the only mare of the eight runners for Ed Walker.

GOODWOOD CUP

Current betting: 1/1 Scandinavia, 9/4 Trawlerman, 11 Rahiebb, 14 Amiloc, Lazy Griff, 33 French Master, Illinois, 66 Miss Alpilles.