Thursday’s showpiece is the historic 2½-mile centrepiece of the entire five-day meeting, in which a ten-runner field is headed by hot favourite Kyprios, who won two years ago for Aidan O’Brien
The 2022 winner Kyprios is by far the likeliest winner of Thursday’s Gold Cup, for which ten runners have been declared, but it would be far more romantic if rags-to-riches mare Caius Chorister were to prevail for colourful owner Clive Washbourn.
Caius Chorister is no forlorn hope either, having worked her way up from the bottom and most recently gone down by only a head in recognised Gold Cup Trials at Ascot and Sandown, both times when conceding a three-pound G3 penalty.
Adding further colour to the scenario, she will be reunited with Benoit de la Sayette, a talented young rider with an interesting backstory. De la Sayette has yet to win a Group race of any description, or indeed any race at Royal Ascot, but he rode Caius Chorister to all her early wins and he is now retained by Washbourn.
To say that Caius Chorister started low would be something of an understatement as her first win, on her second handicap start, came off a mark of just 53.
Speaking to the Qipco British Champions Series media team, trainer David Menuisier insists that there was “definitely no coup”, and added that he was delighted just to “get the monkey off our back”.
However, Caius Chorister then proceeded to win her next three handicaps by an aggregate 31 lengths, and she’s kept on improving.
Menuisier said: “She’s been unbelievable from the start, because she’s never really shown much on the gallops and she’s not the prettiest – although we love her, don’t get me wrong! She’s so tough and she always turns up.
“The only race she’s disappointed was when the lad who rides her at home was away following a family bereavement, so perhaps she was grieving too,” the trainer went on. “She didn’t win last year until Saint-Cloud in October, but I think she was extremely unlucky in the Ebor.
“She’s amazing and I take my hat off to her every morning when she walks past. She’s a street fighter. Whatever happens we’ll enjoy the day, but I’m keeping everything crossed that she can win the race, not for me or for Clive but for her. It would be fantastic if she could strike at Group 1 level after working her way up from 53.”
Washbourn is a passionate supporter of the sport, so much so that his excitement can get the better of him. However, Menuisier insists that’s not really him.
“Clive is easy – he’s a fantastic guy and very professional,” he said. “He understands things and the real him is not the loony you sometimes see screaming on the racecourse. He’s genuinely a lovely person and very, very kind-hearted. There have been highs and lows, but he’s someone you can count on and he’s believed in us even when things weren’t rosy.”
Kyprios beat Mojo Star in the Gold Cup of 2022, when the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt went through the entire season unbeaten and confirmed himself a rare talent over extreme distances by coming home 20 lengths clear in Longchamp’s Prix du Cadran. However he was sidelined for most of last season with a joint infection, and he has looked rather more workmanlike in two much lesser events this spring.
O’Brien already has a record eight Gold Cup wins to his name and has reportedly been very happy with Kyprios, pointing out that “he’s hit every marker for us” and “he seems to be in the same sort of place as he was two years ago”. However, there has to be some doubt about whether he is quite the force of old.
Wathnan Racing return to the scene of their biggest win so far when Gregory, one of three runners who will be saddled by John & Thady Gosden, bids to follow in the footsteps of 2023 winner Courage Mon Ami.
The Emir of Qatar’s rapidly expanding racing team was very much in its infancy when their recent purchase Courage Mon Ami won a year ago under Frankie Dettori, but the blue, gold and red silks had already been in the Royal Ascot’s winner’s enclosure 24 hours earlier following Gregory’s win in the Queen’s Vase.
Courage Mon Ami is currently sidelined, but Gregory is a worthy substitute and retained rider James Doyle is optimistic. Doyle, who won a thrilling Gold Cup on Big Orange in 2017, said: “It won’t be easy beating Kyprios, who is really solid and looks very straightforward, but I’m really looking forward to him.
“Obviously he’s never run over this far before, so we can’t be sure he’ll stay, but he’s from a very good family of stayers and all of the signs are positive. His run in the Yorkshire Cup [staying-on third behind Giavellotto] was very good, and he relaxes really well, which I think is vital in the Gold Cup.
“The way he hit the line was really good, and I wasn’t hard on him as John [Gosden] had said the run was very much to be sure he was primed for the Gold Cup.”
The Gosden team also saddle Trawlerman, who beat Kyprios in a dramatic finish to last year’s Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot, and Sweet William, who was a remote third that day but just got the better of Caius Chorister in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown.
William Buick rides Trawlerman and said: “I sat on him for the first time and rode work on him last week, and he’s in great form. He was a good third in the Dubai Gold Cup and the question with him and a lot of the others is the last half-mile. I haven’t had much luck in the Gold Cup but he’d be one of my better rides in it for sure.”
Vauban finished just in front of Gregory at York is an interesting ride for Colin Keane, who has been champion jockey five times in Ireland but has only one handicap win at Royal Ascot on his CV.
The six-year-old ran away with the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot a year ago and bids to fill a gap for Willie Mullins, who has a fantastic record in the meeting’s other staying races.
Oisin Murphy rides Coltrane, who went desperately close 12 months ago and looked in rude health when just getting the better of Caius Chorister and Sweet William in Ascot’s Sagaro Stakes.
Murphy said: “He’s been perfect since the Sagaro and has had his normal prep, the same as last year. He ran a very brave race last year, but Frankie [Dettori, on Courage Mon Ami] got stuck in traffic and still beat us. It would be lovely to go one better, but we all have huge respect for Kyprios.”
Trueshan, brilliant at his best but well held by several of these on this year’s form, figures among the 48-hour declarations again. However, he has been a late non-runner on account of fast ground for the last three years so there must be a doubt unless the going changes unexpectedly.
The field is completed by Enemy, second in a hugely valuable handicap at Riyadh in February, and Prydwen, who has been in the form of his life on the all-weather but needs to improve again.
Breeders’ Cup Challenge moves onto Norfolk Stakes
Thursday’s opener, the Norfolk Stakes, is the last of four Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge races at Royal Ascot, offering a fees-paid berth in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on November 1.
Strong favourite for the five-furlong contest for two-year-old is Whistlejacket, who stepped up on his debut effort to score at the Curragh last month, with Thursday’s rival Arizona Blaze in second; the runner-up has since won the G3 Marble Hill Stakes.
“We thought he couldn’t be beaten on his debut, and he ran great, but he bumped into what looked like a really good horse in Cowardofthecounty,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Norfolk on three occasions, including with subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Johannesburg in 2001.
“His full brother Little Big Bear was beaten on debut and went on to win the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and we think this fella will go there with a big chance.”
Rivals also include the Wesley Ward-trained Saturday Flirt, who made a winning debut at Keeneland in April. Joel Rosario rides.
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