They say there is a story behind every entry at Royal Ascot and that certainly applies to the big hitters in Thursday’s showpiece, the Gold Cup. The marquee title of the week, part of the Qipco British Champions Series, went the way of the Irish last time out, as Kyprios saw off the legendary Stradivarius for his maiden victory at the world-famous flat meeting.
The fantastic five-year-old will play no part this year however, throwing the race wide open in the beaming Berkshire sunshine. But while Kyprios is absent, the pair who masterminded his success and so many others at this track will be in town to pursue a second successive triumph.
Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien have combined for 39 winners at the meeting, and their latest contender is Emily Dickinson, who arrives with something to prove after a puzzling sixth-place finish in Group 3 fare at Leopardstown last month. The odds-on favourite struggled on quicker ground and with conditions likely to be similar this week, this will be a significant test for the four-year-old.
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If anyone can turn her fortunes around though it’s O’Brien. He helped a horse by the name of Yeats shake off Navan disappointment to claim a record fourth Gold Cup triumph in 2009, and the trainer is convinced his latest charge has the qualities to land him a record-extending tenth race win.
“We always thought this race would suit her well, because we think she stays very well,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing. “Obviously, she handles some ease in the ground well and when there is ease in the ground, stamina comes into it more."
According to O'Brien, the Saval Beg ride, run over a mile and three-quarters, while disappointing was not without excuses.
“When we stepped her up to two miles at the Curragh she kind of grew another leg, then she won in very soft ground in Navan,” he said. “The ground was soft, so it made it a testing, demanding race, and then she went back to Leopardstown for her next run and it was fast ground, they went no pace.
“Ryan got left in front. He didn’t want to be putting the gun to her head in that race, because it was obviously being used as a trial for the Gold Cup. He wasn’t too hard on her when he knew the race wasn’t going to suit her.”
Similarly untested at this distance is British Classic winner Eldar Eldarov, who bids for a rare decent double following his St Leger success in the autumn. His owner is Bahraini boxer Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who counts Conor McGregor as a close friend and the Sandhurst-educated military officer will be hoping to deliver a knockout blow come 4.20pm on Thursday.
Leading Light in 2014 was the last horse to illuminate both Doncaster and Ascot and there are concerns about Eldar Eldarov’s credentials over this distance, following a seventh-place finish over two miles in last year’s QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup.
“Ascot was at the end of a long year and I feel it was a run similar to Mishriff’s on the same day,” said jockey David Egan. “He took on race-fitter rivals at York last month after a long layoff. It wasn’t that he needed the run fitness wise; he was just a bit rusty mentally. With the way he travelled and finished so strongly he goes there with as good a chance as any.”
But the market favourite is Coltrane, a horse who ran nine times last year and has looked transformed ever since victory in the Ascot Stakes last year. Mick Mariscotti described it as ‘every owner’s dream’ to have a Gold Cup favourite but after watching Havana Beat finish seventh and ninth nearly a decade ago, he knows a little bit of lady luck will be required to see his 50,000gns take the prize.
"I think he's the form horse based on his last 12 months, but that's not to say there aren't horses in there capable of putting up a really good performance and beating him,” Mariscotti told the Racing Post. “I think he's favourite on merit and we'll see on the day.
"We've had runners in the Gold Cup before but in our heart we knew something remarkable would have to happen for them to get anywhere close to the front. We're going to enjoy the day and hope the gods are shining on us."
