Scandinavia can deliver record-extending 10th Ascot Gold Cup win for Aidan O’Brien
It is difficult to oppose Scandinavia in his bid to provide Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending 10th victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Scandinavia can make it a perfect 10 Ascot Gold Cup triumphs for Aidan O’Brien by confirming St Leger form with the reopposing Rahiebb in the day three feature.
Only fifth in the Queen’s Vase at this meeting last year, Scandinavia hasn’t tasted defeat in five subsequent starts, a sequence that includes a Group 1 breakthrough in the Goodwood Cup before the Justify colt crowned his three-year-old campaign with a Classic success in the St Leger at Doncaster.
This season, he has taken the traditional Ballydoyle route to the Gold Cup by winning the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan and Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown.
Scandinavia rarely wins by far but always gives the impression that there’s more under the bonnet if needed. With the step up to this marathon trip looking sure to suit, he should run a massive race.
Rahiebb proved himself a potent force in the St Leger, coming from an unpromising position three furlongs out to get with a neck of Scandinavia at the line.
The Roger Varian-trained Frankel colt made a winning return to action when scoring in the Yorkshire Cup and looks sure to run a big race but, having won just two of his eight career starts, he lacks the winning habit mastered by Scandinavia.
He’ll likely get close to Scandinavia but passing him may again prove beyond him.
Aix La Chapelle, another O’Brien-trained Justify colt, can do the business in the opening race, the Chesham Stakes.
The selection overcame signs of greenness to score on debut at the Curragh a fortnight ago and ought to be better for the experience.
He can give O’Brien a sixth Chesham success in the last 11 years.
Team Ballydoyle will also fancy their chances of winning the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes given Endorsement got within half a length of subsequent Derby hero Christmas Day in the Ballysax Stakes in April and has since emphatically won a listed contest back at Leopardstown.
The only slight worry is that win came over a mile and a half, and he might prove vulnerable to a speedier rival back over 10 furlongs.
My Love Is King might prove that rival. The John and Thady Gosden-trained Kingman colt began his three-year-old campaign by chasing home subsequent Derby runner-up Maltese Cross before again finding one too good in a listed contest at Newmarket last time out.
With the aid of first-time cheekpieces, he appeals as an each-way alternative to the favourite.
The Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes revolves around whether Oaks runner-up Legacy Link has recovered from her Epsom exertions of 13 days ago.
While no match for impressive Oaks winner Thundering On, Legacy Link pulled six lengths clear of the third and will surely gain compensation here if she runs close to that level again.
On the domestic front, there’s an eight-race card at Leopardstown with the most appealing bet coming in the penultimate contest, the 1878 At 3Arena Maiden, where the Joseph O’Brien-trained Changing Lanes, third on debut at Dundalk before finishing second at Roscommon last time out, can get off the mark.
The Noel Meade-trained Joe Cool, successful over hurdles at Ballinrobe last month, ought to go close in the finale, the BOYLE Sports Squad Builder Maiden.
2.30 Aix La Chapelle (NB)
3.05 Tierra Del Toro
3.40 Legacy Link
4.15 Scandinavia (Nap)
4.50 Organise
5.35 My Love Is King
6.10 Dance In The Storm
2.30 Sea Venture
3.05 Into The Light
3.40 Earth Shot
4.15 Rahiebb
4.50 Moonfall
5.35 Endorsement
6.10 Mezcala
4.35 Apollo's Comet
5.10 Faoladh
5.45 Cosmic Funk
6.20 Shaftesbury Avenue
6.50 Ella's Gold
7.20 Nibras Rainbow
7.50 Changing Lanes (Nap)
8.20 Joe Cool (NB)
4.35 Sea Of Rain
5.10 Irish Rumour
5.45 Bucaneer's Spirit
6.20 Krasimir
6.50 Chipsrdown
7.20 Staywitherjohnny
7.50 Kashala
8.20 Eagle Fang
