Aidan O'Brien enjoyed his 100th winner at Royal Ascot on Thursday when Scandinavia (image right) edged out Trawlerman (image left) in a thrilling renewal of the Ascot Gold Cup.

Plenty of eyes were on Trawlerman pre-race as he paraded in a pair of ski-goggles for the first time due to a rare eye-condition, and as the field swung for home, it looked as though John and Thady Gosden's gutsy front-running stayer might well defend his crown with those in behind seemingly struggling to get on terms.

However, Scandinavia soon loomed upsides to launch a major challenge and the pair set off the slug it out up the straight.

The duo continued to trade blows like Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman back in 1974, with neither in any mood to give the opponent an inch of rope. But as the line loomed, Scandinavia, who was asked for one last effort by Moore, stuck his nose down where it mattered to prevail by a head, with Trawlerman nine lengths clear of his stablemate Sweet William in third.

Moore said: "He should have won easier! I was happy where I was and then Oisin came up around me and I didn't want us all going three in a line. Then he took me out of the race, and I've had to work to get to Trawlerman, I thought I had it and then had to go again. Trawlerman is a brave horse, he kept coming.

"He (O'Brien) identifies these horses and brings them here, absolutely jumping out of their skin and I'm lucky to ride them.

"His (Scandinavia) record since he got beat here last year, he keeps finding a way to win."

29 years on from Harbour Master providing him with his first Royal Ascot success in the Coventry Stakes, Aidan O'Brien, who also completed the clean sweep of Royal Ascot Group 1's when Mission Central edged home in the King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday, described reaching the landmark century as 'very special'.

"It's a very special day for myself and everybody in Ballydoyle," said O'Brien, who was presented with a commemorative '100' saddle cloth by the King and Queen following Scandinavia's success. "There are so many people involved to help a horse get this far. Ryan gave him an absolute class, peach of a ride.

"It's just incredible really, it's something that we wouldn't dream of thinking about because for that to happen you could not believe. Even this week, it's literally one race at a time and you don't even think what it could be or whether it could happen because it's so competitive, so hard to win races here.

"We knew the second horse was a great horse, very brave. He joined him and you don't know until you go pass that two-furlong marker what's really going to happen, but we felt he was very brave, he always showed that in every race, he's relentless, he cruises.

"It's an honour and a privilege for me to be involved with the team and be the small part that I am with everybody. The reality is everyone puts in the work, and we watch it going on and I can't tell you how grateful we are to everybody."

It was a fifth-straight success for last year's Goodwood Cup and St Leger hero Scandinavia, who was sent off the 11/8 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore after making a winning return to action in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April, while Trawlerman went down on his sword having missed his intended preparation in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown earlier in the year.

"What a race! We've had two 'race of the meeting', two big Group 1s, Wednesday and Thursday. It was a valiant effort," said John Gosden.

"I thought to do what he did off no prep race, was an unbelievable run. He just got caught in the last ten yards, just there the lack of a prep-run cost him. Going a mile-and-a-quarter on the July course is not the same as having a two-mile prep run around Sandown, I can tell you!

"We're proud of the horse, he is putting it up to them – that's what you're proud of. In the last virtually 15 yards, Ryan has gone the full drive, and this boy wasn't beaten by much.

"It was a phenomenal race, this is what racing needs, and it's great for the crowd."