100 NOT OUT!

The Master Of Ballydoyle's milestone

- BY DAVID YATES

AIDAN O'BRIEN is a Royal Ascot centurion after Scandinavia took him to yet another landmark at the end of a gladiatorial battle with returning champion Trawlerman in the Gold Cup.

The 11-8 favourite was urged by the twin attributes that stamped most of the Ballydoyle genius's previous 99 victories at the fixture - an abundance of talent harnessed by an indomitable will to win and ushered in a new era for the staying division.

The eight-year-old Trawlerman, a seven-length winner of the two-and-a-half mile Group 1 contest 12 months earlier, was forced to make his title defence without a previous run.

But the horse who had worn ski goggles in the preliminaries to protect his eyes from sunlight, went out on his shield, making the running under William Buick and fighting on valiantly until the four-year-old Scandinavia gained the upper hand in the final strides.

As the two warriors galloped past the winning post, last year's Goodwood Cup and St Leger winner and Ryan Moore held sway by a neck, with nine lengths back to the runner-up's stable-companion Sweet William.