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Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
William Buick ecstatic after Trawlerman smashes track record to claim Gold Cup win at Royal Ascot
The horse is the star: never forget It. When trainers are excelling and jockeys are dazzling, it is only possible thanks to the efforts of the animals who give everything. And how Trawlerman, the latest winner of a race that dates back to 1807, has given everything. His 21-race career began on a dank November night, at Chelmsford, in November 2020 when nobody was allowed on track due to the pandemic; yesterday, 65,718 flooded through Ascot 's turnstiles. Over the course of five years, for six different jockeys, Trawlerman, trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden for owners Godolphin, has covered 38-and-a-quarter miles in competition; he's raced in Saudi Arabia, Dubai three times and had earned more than £1million for his efforts. This latest test, however, was the one that would determine his place in the pantheon. History awaits those who succeed in Ascot's Gold Cup, those who fail in this two-and-a-half-mile war quickly fade from the memory; thanks to a relentless display of galloping, Trawlerman will never be forgotten. He did this the hard way – and how. William Buick, his jockey, sprung out of the starting stalls as quickly as jack comes out of a box and immediately put his foot to the accelerator: 33mph, 35mph, up to 36mph as he charged past the crowded stands. Sent off the 85/40 favourite, he never saw another rival. 'Trawlerman just goes off,' said John Gosden, greeting back his fifth winner of an extraordinary week. 'I said to William: 'What did you do?' and he said: 'I threw the reins at him! He can judge pace better than me!' and off they went together. He's an out-and-out galloper. 'William judged it perfectly – it is not an easy thing to do over two and a half miles. If anyone is going to go by him, they will know they have been in a race but they never got to him. He is a wonderful old horse, and a great team look after him. He is a favourite, part of the furniture really.' Buick, not surprisingly, was exultant. Just as elated, though, was Frankie Dettori, who had ridden Trawlerman eight times but watched this like a proud father from the parade ring and no wonder, his old pal had covered the distance in 4:15.07, shattering the course record. Dettori was telling anyone who would listen that a seven-length drubbing of Illinois – the only slight disappointment for Aidan O'Brien on a day when he saddled three winners – was well deserved, as he had danced every dance, a loveable heavyweight like Frank Bruno in his heyday. Some may quibble and ask whether this would have happened had Kyprios, the champion who had flattened Trawlerman here 12 months ago, not suffered a career-ending injury but that only serves to prove what a superb achievement it has been to keep this seven-year-old enthusiastic for so long. 'The Gold Cup is an extraordinary race,' Buick enthused. 'It is an extreme distance at Royal Ascot – this is an incredible place. This is the greatest week of horseracing. Trawlerman went down so narrowly in the race last year, so to get it right this year means the world. 'He's really what you want in a two-and-a-half-mile race. I did not have to touch the brakes once. He was on autopilot; he knows his own speed and stays well, so I was just a passenger. When you get into the last half-mile, that is when Trawlerman comes into his own.' O'Brien, always magnanimous in defeat, provided the context. Illinois, the valiant runner up, had finished seven lengths clear of 28/1 shot Dubai Future but bridging the gap to Trawlerman was a bridge too far at this stage. 'It shows how good Kyprios was, doesn't it? as Trawlerman had been second to him a couple of times,' O'Brien noted. A few yards away, cameras were clicking and a bay horse was guzzling out of bucket of water rather than being paraded for the crowd. 'The priority is the horse,' said one Ascot official. How fitting those words were.
BreakingNews.ie
6 hours ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Trawlerman nets biggest staying prize of them all
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. Advertisement 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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement '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. Advertisement 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.'
Glasgow Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Trawlerman comes of age with Gold Cup haul
Perhaps Trawlerman was prevented from an earlier success by the other things he clearly had on his mind as a young horse, namely a one-sided feud with the starting stalls that scuppered his chances more than once. When that score was settled is unknown, but it is clear that with time, patience and expert handling he has developed into the kind of standing-dish stayer associated with Ascot's oldest race. The term 'dour stayer' usually enters the racing vocabulary in the wettest part of winter when the ground is hock-deep, but it was on rapid going and under a sweltering sun that Trawlerman managed to call the phrase to mind several months out of season. The 85-40 favourite under William Buick, John and Thady Gosden's gelding nipped into an early lead and lolloped along at the head of affairs to gain an advantage that only seemed to widen as the race progressed. When he swung for home and passed the clanging bell there was evidently no blow that could reach him, and it was with consummate ease that he sauntered home seven lengths ahead to break the track record over the trip and take his place at the head of the staying standings. 'We came here today and William was very clear what he was going to do, he was going to set a good, even pace and gradually press them from Swinley Bottom all the way through,' said John Gosden. 'The pretenders – the Aga Khan horse (Candelari) and the Coolmore and Ballydoyle horse (Illinois) – they'd have to stay two and a half miles properly. And they didn't stay, we took them for stamina. 'It was the plan, beyond the plan, absolutely the plan – and he carried it off to perfection. We spend months planning this, we don't just think 'oh, shall we run at Ascot next week?'. 'It's months in the making and they come here in top order. He's one of the most relentless, proper gallopers. Going wire to wire in this takes a bit of doing, as does breaking the track record, 'It gives me enormous pleasure, I love the Cup races and I always have done. I'm inclined to run one more race and then put him away and come back next year. 'That's more important than anything, we've won it once now, let's see if he can win it again.' Of Trawlerman's earlier waywardness and his more mannerly approach as an older horse, Gosden added: 'He used to be a hooligan, an absolute hooligan! 'Now even I'd ride him, though I don't suppose he'd particularly appreciate that. 'He's a fabulous horse to be around, he's like his father – incredibly brave. Golden Horn would run through a wall for you and this horse is the same.' Trawlerman has always been a very good horse, but he has not always been a very good boy – now he is both.
North Wales Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Trawlerman comes of age with Gold Cup haul
Perhaps Trawlerman was prevented from an earlier success by the other things he clearly had on his mind as a young horse, namely a one-sided feud with the starting stalls that scuppered his chances more than once. When that score was settled is unknown, but it is clear that with time, patience and expert handling he has developed into the kind of standing-dish stayer associated with Ascot's oldest race. The term 'dour stayer' usually enters the racing vocabulary in the wettest part of winter when the ground is hock-deep, but it was on rapid going and under a sweltering sun that Trawlerman managed to call the phrase to mind several months out of season. The 85-40 favourite under William Buick, John and Thady Gosden's gelding nipped into an early lead and lolloped along at the head of affairs to gain an advantage that only seemed to widen as the race progressed. When he swung for home and passed the clanging bell there was evidently no blow that could reach him, and it was with consummate ease that he sauntered home seven lengths ahead to break the track record over the trip and take his place at the head of the staying standings. 'We came here today and William was very clear what he was going to do, he was going to set a good, even pace and gradually press them from Swinley Bottom all the way through,' said John Gosden. 'The pretenders – the Aga Khan horse (Candelari) and the Coolmore and Ballydoyle horse (Illinois) – they'd have to stay two and a half miles properly. And they didn't stay, we took them for stamina. 'It was the plan, beyond the plan, absolutely the plan – and he carried it off to perfection. We spend months planning this, we don't just think 'oh, shall we run at Ascot next week?'. 'It's months in the making and they come here in top order. He's one of the most relentless, proper gallopers. Going wire to wire in this takes a bit of doing, as does breaking the track record, 'It gives me enormous pleasure, I love the Cup races and I always have done. I'm inclined to run one more race and then put him away and come back next year. 'That's more important than anything, we've won it once now, let's see if he can win it again.' Of Trawlerman's earlier waywardness and his more mannerly approach as an older horse, Gosden added: 'He used to be a hooligan, an absolute hooligan! 'Now even I'd ride him, though I don't suppose he'd particularly appreciate that. 'He's a fabulous horse to be around, he's like his father – incredibly brave. Golden Horn would run through a wall for you and this horse is the same.' Trawlerman has always been a very good horse, but he has not always been a very good boy – now he is both.
South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Trawlerman comes of age with Gold Cup haul
Perhaps Trawlerman was prevented from an earlier success by the other things he clearly had on his mind as a young horse, namely a one-sided feud with the starting stalls that scuppered his chances more than once. When that score was settled is unknown, but it is clear that with time, patience and expert handling he has developed into the kind of standing-dish stayer associated with Ascot's oldest race. The term 'dour stayer' usually enters the racing vocabulary in the wettest part of winter when the ground is hock-deep, but it was on rapid going and under a sweltering sun that Trawlerman managed to call the phrase to mind several months out of season. The 85-40 favourite under William Buick, John and Thady Gosden's gelding nipped into an early lead and lolloped along at the head of affairs to gain an advantage that only seemed to widen as the race progressed. When he swung for home and passed the clanging bell there was evidently no blow that could reach him, and it was with consummate ease that he sauntered home seven lengths ahead to break the track record over the trip and take his place at the head of the staying standings. 'We came here today and William was very clear what he was going to do, he was going to set a good, even pace and gradually press them from Swinley Bottom all the way through,' said John Gosden. 'The pretenders – the Aga Khan horse (Candelari) and the Coolmore and Ballydoyle horse (Illinois) – they'd have to stay two and a half miles properly. And they didn't stay, we took them for stamina. 'It was the plan, beyond the plan, absolutely the plan – and he carried it off to perfection. We spend months planning this, we don't just think 'oh, shall we run at Ascot next week?'. 'It's months in the making and they come here in top order. He's one of the most relentless, proper gallopers. Going wire to wire in this takes a bit of doing, as does breaking the track record, 'It gives me enormous pleasure, I love the Cup races and I always have done. I'm inclined to run one more race and then put him away and come back next year. 'That's more important than anything, we've won it once now, let's see if he can win it again.' Of Trawlerman's earlier waywardness and his more mannerly approach as an older horse, Gosden added: 'He used to be a hooligan, an absolute hooligan! 'Now even I'd ride him, though I don't suppose he'd particularly appreciate that. 'He's a fabulous horse to be around, he's like his father – incredibly brave. Golden Horn would run through a wall for you and this horse is the same.' Trawlerman has always been a very good horse, but he has not always been a very good boy – now he is both.
