Star stayer Scandinavia out to round off perfect season in Saturday's Prix du Cadran

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Scandinavia out to round off perfect season

The Prix du Cadran has not always been a race kind to Ballydoyle given legendary stayer Yeats never showed his best in three efforts in the race but Kyprios provided Aidan O'Brien with a memorable first win in the race in 2022.

He pulverised the field with a stunning 20-length success before adding another dominant win in the 2m4f Group 1 in 2024. Since the eight-time Group 1 winner's retirement last year, Scandinavia has remarkably picked up where he left off and completely dominated the stayers' division this year.

The strapping son of Justify has landed all five of his races this season, including when coming out on top in a magnificent duel with Trawlerman in the Ascot Gold Cup and he reasserted dominance over that rival when blasting clear of him in the Goodwood Cup.

Another straightforward victory followed in the Irish St Leger last time and that was meant to be it for the season. However, O'Brien has elected to let him take his chance at Longchamp on account of the ground being drier than usual and it could round off a flawless campaign.

"Scandinavia is in good form," said the trainer. "We were going to leave him for the year but we just kept him ticking over and the ground looks like it's going to be nice."

Joining him is stablemate Queenstown, who ran a cracker in this contest last year when third to Caballo De Mar and looks a better horse this season.

He returned from a long lay-off with an impressive victory at the Curragh and ran a career-best when a two-length second to Scandinavia last time.

"It'll be interesting to see what Queenstown will do over this trip," O'Brien added. "He's in good form since the Curragh and ran very well in the race last year."

What They Say

4.00 Prix du Cadran, 2m4f 

George Scott, trainer of Caballo De Mar
He’s had a great preparation. I trust that he’ll be the best version of himself on Saturday. Eliza, who has ridden him for a long time and knows him very well says he’s shipped over very well and is very bright. We weren’t expecting to see Scandinavia but he’s got a good draw and he likes the track.

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of French Master
Two and a half miles shouldn’t pose a problem to him as he enjoys extended trips. He’s taking on the best stayer in Europe, which is a tough ask for any horse, and it's a competitive field.

Christophe Ferland, trainer of Double Major
This is the penultimate race of his career and he will retire after the Prix Royal-Oak. The horse is in good form but this won't be easy because it looks a very good race. We're a challenger but I expect him to run well. Almost his only bad run was in this race two years ago but Kyprios took everyone out of their comfort zone that day, so in a normal Cadran I think he'll stay

3.25 Prix de Royallieu, 1m6f

Simon Crisford, joint-trainer of Fairy Glen
It looks a very strong renewal. She came out of the Yarmouth race really well, I think the trip is good. A little bit more juice would have suited her better but she's in good form.

Owen Burrows, trainer of Wardaah
Everything clicked for Wardaah at Doncaster and hopefully it'll be good ground. My guy has had a canter round this morning and felt it was on the soft side of good, and it's a sunny day in Paris. I'm sure it will dry back, but good ground will be fine. The Juddmonte filly [Sunly] has solid Group-placed form, but I think our filly goes there with a good chance

William Butler, assistant to Sir Mark Prescott, trainer of Consent
Consent raised the bar when she was so impressive in winning this last year on very soft ground and we're hoping she can rediscover that form in quicker conditions.  

Francis Graffard, trainer of Sunly
I took Sunly out of the Arc because I really need to win a Group 1 with her and this is a better chance. I think the trip will be fine for her. I made a mistake last year when running Quisisana and Gezora in the Arc instead of the Opera and I didn't want to make the same mistake again.

William Haggas, trainer of Santorini Star and Earth Shot
Santorini Star is a very genuine filly who just got beaten in the Vicomtesse Vigier in the spring. She was a little bit disappointing in the Kergorlay when she lugged right and never really got going. But she's in good form and she'll run a good race. Earth Shot won the Ribblesdale and then she ran a strange race in the Yorkshire Oaks. She looked like she was going to be tailed off and she then picked up and ran on to  be fourth. I wondered if she needed some headgear to help her focus a bit so we've put some cheekpieces on. She'll enjoy going up to a mile and six.

Read more:

'Every one of his races has been better than the one before' - key quotes and star ratings for every horse in our 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-by-runner guide 

'I can't envisage a situation where he won't be bang there entering the final furlong' - why this horse can win the Arc 

'I can't understand the big price on offer' - a six-time naps competition winner joins our expert panel to assess this weekend's racing 

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