Trawlerman & Dubai Future take aim at G2 Lonsdale Cup

Trawlerman seeks another major staying prize when he faces old rivals Dubai Future and Sweet William in the G2 Lonsdale Cup at York, UK, on Friday, 22 August.

Trained by John & Thady Gosden, Trawlerman makes his first appearance since a dominant victory in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, when he scored by seven lengths over Illinois, with Dubai Future and Sweet William well held in third and fourth.

Trawlerman gamely won the Ebor Handicap at this meeting in 2022 before going on to establish himself as a top stayer with victories in the 2023 G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup and this season’s G3 King Henry II Stakes.

Dubai Future is the only horse in the Lonsdale Cup field to have finished in front of Trawlerman this year. The Saeed bin Suroor-trained nine-year-old was an easy winner of the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan in April, a race in which Trawlerman could only finish fifth.

Rejuvenated as a stayer this season, Dubai Future found the ground against him in May’s G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and failed to give his true running in the G1 Goodwood Cup on his latest outing. 

Thady Gosden said: “Trawlerman won the Gold Cup in good style and we gave him a freshen up afterwards, deciding to wait for this race. He has won the Ebor before and two miles around York should suit him well.”

Saeed bin Suroor said: “The ground is important to Dubai Future, and we would ideally like it to remain good to firm. He came out of Goodwood in good form and I’m hoping he can run well, providing he gets his conditions.”