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Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup: runner-by-runner guide and 16-1 each-way tip
By Nic Doggett
Last Updated: Sun 26 Jul 2026
After pinpointing Kalpana in Saturday's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Nic Doggett takes a detailed look at the eight runners declared for Tuesday's feature race at Glorious Goodwood.
1 AMILOC
Postponed – Colima (Authorized)
T: Ralph Beckett. J: Hector Crouch. Draw: 1. Best Odds: 16-1
Made it six wins on the bounce when adding last season's King Edward VII Stakes to a brace of wins here, looking chock full of stamina (and niggled along plenty) on each occasion.
No answer but improved again when four-lengths second to Al Riffa in the Irish St. Leger after a three-month break, and similar story when fourth – beaten less than three lengths – in the Breeders' Cup Turf on his final start at three.
Began this season over a mile and three quarters (well beaten in the Yorkshire Cup having been far too keen in-front) but much better back over shorter when a slightly unlucky five-lengths sixth in the Hardwicke Stakes (form franked since, including by Kalpana at the weekend).
Yet to be tested over this far, but future entries suggest his future lies over this trip, and looks a very interesting contender back at a course he clearly relishes.
Watch: Amiloc came from a long way back when winning the 2025 Cocked Hat Stakes at the course
2 FRENCH MASTER
Frankel – French Dressing (Sea The Stars)
T: John & Thady Gosden. J: James Doyle. Draw: 6. Best Odds: 25-1
Impressive when carry a penalty to victory on his final start at two and proved his opening mark of 95 was lenient the following spring when landing competitive handicaps here and at the Royal meeting (first-time blinkers on latter occasion).
Pitched straight into this race the following month, a slow start not helping his cause as he weakened into fifth late on, but failed to match that effort when beating only one home in the Ebor (off 108) a month later.
Promising start to this season when third behind Santorini Star in a typically small-field Jockey Club Stakes, and put a poor effort behind Kalpana at Newbury behind him when beaten just a neck by Illinois in the Ascot Stakes over 2m5f last month.
Again started slowly that day, though, and wouldn't want to give these classier types any more of an edge than they appear to already have on him.
Watch: Illinois ran stablemate Scandinavia close in last year's race
3 ILLINOIS
Galileo – Danedrop (Danehill)
T: Aidan O'Brien. J: Wayne Lordan. Draw: 7. Best Odds: 33-1
Fine three-year-old season included a neck-second in the 2024 St Leger won by stablemate Jan Brueghel, and matched that level in four starts last term, including when chasing home Trawlerman home at Royal Ascot and when making stablemate Scandinava pull out all the stops in this race, going down by three-quarters of a length.
Has had a busy time of things this term, bouncing back strongly when a very well-backed winner of the Queen Alexandra Stakes last month (when up in trip for the first time this campaign).
Not as good in the Curragh Cup since, though that was an inadequate test, and looks a little overpriced on last year's peak efforts - for all more would likely be required here.
4 LAZY GRIFF
Protectionist – Linarda (Rock Of Gibraltar)
T: Charlie Johnston. J: Oisin Murphy. Draw: 3. Best Odds: 20-1
Improved for racing at two, his best effort coming with a neck-defeat of subsequent Prix de Diane and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Gezora in a Chantilly Group Two in September, and ran three stormers behind Lambourn at three, placed in both the English and Irish Derby.
Easy to back on his return from injury when third to Dubai Future in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown in late-May, but made no mistake when dictating in the Coral Marathon over the same C&D last month.
Interesting contender in first-time cheekpieces, but long-term target has always been the Irish St. Leger and may not get soft enough ground here to be seen at his very best.
Watch: Lazy Griff won the Coral Marathon last time out
5 RAHIEBB
Frankel – Playful Sound (Street Cry)
T: Roger Varian. J: Ray Dawson. Draw: 4. Best Odds: 10-1
Appeared to find the jump from handicaps to pattern races straightforward last season, failing to win after his debut at Newcastle but generally taking a step forward with each start which included placed efforts in both the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot and St Leger at Doncaster, beaten just a neck by Scandinavia on the latter occasion.
Looked a 'Cup Horse' of promise when readily seeing off the fair yardsticks Al Nayyir and Epic Poet in the Yorkshire Cup, but weakened out of contention when tried over three-quarters of a mile further in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month.
Big, scopey sort who is clearly worth another chance, especially now over a more suitable trip on this slightly slower ground.
Watch: The Verdict team break down the Yorkshire Cup where Rahiebb was a long way ahead of Amiloc
6 SCANDINAVIA
Justify – Fabulous (Galileo)
T: Aidan O'Brien. J: Ryan Moore. Draw: 2. Best Odds: 10-11
Slow-burner who failed to win at two but made giant strides once having his stamina drawn out at three, behind Rahiebb in the Queen's Vase (closing late on having raced wide) but impressive in first-time cheekpieces in the Bahrain Trophy and then gutsy when fending off stablemate Illinois in this race. Rounded off his season with a similarly gritty win over old foe Rahiebb in the St Leger.
Has continued his winning streak this term, again not winning by much at both Navan and Leopardstown, before producing a career-best effort to beat Trawlerman by a head in the Gold Cup last month, having – at times – looked likely to suffer a first defeat in six.
Straightforward prominent racer in the mould of Ballydoyle staying legends Kyprios and Yeats (both prolific winners who landed this contest twice), and deserves his place at the head of the betting.
Scandinavia gave Aidan O'Brien a 100th Royal Ascot winner when beating Trawlerman in the Gold Cup
7 TRAWLERMAN
Golden Horn – Tidespring (Monsun)
T: John & Thady Gosden. J: William Buick. Draw: 8. Best Odds: 2-1
Fantastic servant to connections, his early career as a handicapper including wins at this meeting and the Ebor the following month (in 2022), and has taken his form in Cup races up a notch since stepping out of the shadows of the aforementioned Kyprios.
Unbeaten in four starts last season, his wins including a demolition job on Illinois in the Gold Cup, and made a fine return to action when only going down by a head in this year's renewal – his first start in 243 days.
Should come on for that run, is 1 lb better off with rival Scandinavia, and has excellent claims of getting back to winning ways.
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8 MISS ALPILLES
Sea The Stars – Alma Linda (Invincible Spirit)
T: Ed Walker. J: Kieran Shoemark. Draw: 5. Best Odds: 100-1
Admirable mare who hit her straps towards the end of last season, winning a handicap against the boys here in August before following up – springing a 20-1 surprise – in the listed Rose Bowl Stakes at HQ on her first try at this trip.
Placed behind Sweet William and Danielle at Ascot and York, respectively, on her first two starts this term, and ran as well as could be expected when a distant fifth in the Gold Cup behind Scandinavia et al last time.
Up against it once more in first-time blinkers.
Verdict
A really tricky puzzle to solve.
Big Orange (2015/16) and Stradivarius (2017-2020) showed that it's possible to win back-to-back renewals of this race, but I'm not sure that they faced quite the same level of competition that Scandinavia does as he bids to defend his crown against the pick of the staying division.
Having said that, his trainer is a master with this type of horse, and last month's Gold Cup one-two are expected to comfortably confirm the form with Rahiebb and Miss Alpilles.
The presence of Lazy Griff and Illinois should ensure that William Buick doesn't get too easy a time on front-runner Trawlerman, though it should be noted that there was no hiding place in the Gold Cup where he made every yard a winning one bar the final ten.
He runs in this contest for the first time in three years (race now worth double what it was when the yard's Stradivarius won his fourth in 2020) and – with his stable in flying form - any horse that finishes head of him will probably win.
However, the one horse I keep returning to is AMILOC, and, with the bare eight runners, he looks a feasible each-way option at 16s. The Ralph Beckett-trained gelding is a fine spare ride for Hector Crouch (who actually rode him to victory here last May), and he made a lasting impression when storming up the hill for two wins at the course last season.
This year hasn't gone to plan, but he shapes as if this longer trip could bring about more improvement, and the likely solid tempo throughout should help him settle better than he has so far this term.
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