Trawlerman nets biggest staying prize of them all

Irish Examiner

19-06-2025

Trawlerman made every yard of the running in the Gold Cup to go one better than last year for John and Thady Gosden in the Royal Ascot highlight.
Second to Kyprios 12 months ago, the Godolphin-owned seven-year-old took full advantage of the dual winner's retirement under an excellently-judged ride from William Buick.
Illinois, who had stepped into Kyprios' shoes for Aidan O'Brien, was well placed if good enough, but inside the final furlong Trawlerman (85-40 favourite) began to pull away and ran out an impressive seven-length winner. Dubai Future was third for Saeed bin Suroor in the Godolphin colours.
Buick said: "It's an extreme distance, two and a half miles, so you need an extraordinary horse with an extraordinary set of skills.
"He's got that lung capacity and stamina. He got in a great rhythm — it's a tough thing to do, be in front for two and a half miles like that, but he's so genuine.
"I knew he would stay, which is a big help. It's taken me a long time to win this — I knew he was the right horse, I just hoped I would get it right on him."
John Gosden spoke of his relief after what felt like a long final furlong for the Clarehaven handler.
He said: "I didn't enjoy it (final furlong) because anything can happen, you never know until they cross the line. He's part of the furniture you know. It's absolutely amazing. He's the most grand, lovely horse he really is. The other horse, Sweet William (fourth), they're great old friends."
Trawlerman set a new course record and Gosden praised Buick's ride, repeating the tactics he employed to such good effect when also winning at Sandown last time out.
"We ran him in the Henry II at Sandown and William got it spot on," said Gosden.
"He went what they call in America 'wire to wire', that was two miles around Sandown.
"He's an out-and-out galloper and he rode him beautifully, judged it perfectly — not an easy thing to do over two and a half miles.
"The only way we were going to win was to just say, 'if you're going to beat me, you're going to know you've been in a race, as you're going to have to go two and a half miles at a proper gallop'."
Gosden already has a title defence on his mind and given Trawlerman will be eight next year, he is eager to measure the gelding's efforts ahead of that long-range target.
He added: "I think he should be aimed at coming back next year, and he shouldn't be over-raced at all in between time. Don't be surprised if you don't see him again until the Henry II next year. That could be a reality.
"I'll discuss it with Sheikh Mohammed, but he doesn't need to be going to all these races. He might come back here in the autumn (for the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day), he's won that, we might go for that, and then put him away."
O'Brien feels there is room for improvement in the staying division with Illinois, after his planned super-sub had to make do with the silver medal.
He said: "We thought Illinois would be a Gold Cup horse next year and obviously the plan was Kyprios would come here this year and Illinois would step up next year.
"The plan was for him to go to the Coronation and I was training him as a good mile-and-a-half horse, and then when Kyprios retired we switched him to this race.
"We have to be happy with the run and he had a lovely preparation the last day. Maybe if we knew he was coming here straight away, we might of had him going earlier and maybe lighter."
While Illinois was seemingly put in his place by Trawlerman, O'Brien would not shirk a potential rematch in the Goodwood Cup, adding: "He might go to Goodwood and meet this horse again and I would imagine he will progress again then.
"He got tired at the two-furlong pole today, like a lot of horses do, and we will see if we can improve him another little bit for this distance.
"It shows how good Kyprios was as Trawlerman had been second to him a couple of times, I think."