Royal Ascot Memories, The Gold Cup – by @NiamhTownsend

Royal Ascot Memories, The Gold Cup – by @NiamhTownsend

2018 winner – Stradivarius

The Gold Cup is the showpiece event of Royal Ascot, and steeped in history dating back to when it was first staged in 1807. Since then, it has developed into the premier European stayers’ prize, a summer showpiece that has provided a number of truly remarkable stories.

2017 – Big Orange. 

Dubbed ‘the people’s horse’, in recent years there had been no more popular horse in training than the loveable Big Orange. Having won two Goodwood Cups, as well as two Princess of Wales’ Stakes, the six year old was by now a familiar sighting on the racecourse and as beloved as ever. However, the big concern approaching the 2017 Gold Cup at Ascot was his ability to stay the trip, especially against confirmed stayer and current champion Order Of St George who was seeking to become the first horse since Yeats to win back to back Gold Cup’s. The race itself was one to savour, as Big Orange attempted to make all to win his biggest race yet while Order Of St George played a waiting game. As they turned for home, Ryan Moore and Order Of St George still had a lot of ground to make up on Big Orange who had been sent for home by James Doyle and drew two lengths clear. However, as the tank appeared to empty entering the final furlong Order Of St George began to fly home down the outside, soon drawing up to Big Orange who looked like he would be cruelly denied. But this was Big Orange, renowned for wearing his heart on his sleeve, and he needed all of that bravery this day as he fought back to gamely hold on to win by a short head. The line came just in time, but it provided the crowd at Ascot and everyone watching from home one of the most thrilling finishes the Gold Cup had ever seen, made all the more sweet by the winner being Big Orange, the people’s horse.

2013 – Estimate.

Royal Ascot is renowned around the world not only for the high quality racing, but just as much for the presence of The Queen, who enjoyed her first Royal Ascot success as an owner in 1953 when Choir Boy won the Royal Hunt Cup, just weeks after her coronation. But, in 2013 Her Majesty took the biggest prize of all with her filly called Estimate, who had been a birthday gift from the Aga Khan to The Queen. Having taken the Queen’s Vase in 2012, and following up with a win in the Sagaro Stakes at the start of the 2013 season, there were high expectations on Estimate, with many hoping that she would become the first winner of the Gold Cup for a reigning monarch. She raced prominently throughout, before taking the lead in the home straight and just holding off the challenge of Simenon much to the delight of the Ascot crowd, including Her Majesty. A brilliant ride from Ryan Moore, as well as a fantastic training performance from Sir Michael Stoute, provided one of the most memorable days ever at Ascot. The Queen is synonymous with Royal Ascot and horse racing as a whole, and Estimate’s victory in the 2013 Gold Cup was enough to thrill any racing fan.

2009 – Yeats.

This particular race seems all the more poignant this year seeing as it is the 10 year anniversary since Yeats made history at Ascot by achieving what no other horse had done before, winning 4 Gold Cups. The son of Sadler’s Wells was sent off the 6/4 favourite, despite having been beaten 32 lengths on his seasonal debut in the Vintage Crop Stakes. Now an 8 year old, history was well and truly against Yeats, but he stamped his authority on the field under Johnny Murtagh, kicking for home from the turn for home, and winning the Ascot showpiece with an air of comfort by three and a half lengths from the Sagaro Stakes winner Patkai in second who could not get near enough to challenge Yeats. This victory confirmed Yeats as arguably the best stayer the world had ever seen, since up until this point the idea of a horse having the longevity and class to win 4 Gold Cups was unprecedented, but the masterful training of Aidan O’Brien and the team at Ballydoyle as well as the sheer brilliance of Yeats meant that history and statistics were put away on the shelf on the afternoon of the 18th of June in 2009, as Yeats galloped into the record books. Such was the scale of Yeats’ achievement that afternoon, it is highly unlikely that it will ever happen again; it is no wonder that this incredible horse was chosen to stand in bronze in the Ascot parade ring, watching over the winners’ enclosure that he graced so many times with his presence at Royal Ascot.

Each of these races are worth re-watching ahead of what looks like a classic renewal of the Gold Cup on Thursday, with the reigning champion Stradivarius lining up against a hoard of talented young pretenders to his crown, including Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter, and the runner-up in last year’s Derby, Dee Ex Bee. It looks set to be the race of the week, just as the Gold Cup should be, and with any luck it should provide this spectacular race with yet another brilliant and historic renewal at Royal Ascot.