Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup report and replay: Kyprios rules again
By David Ord
17:23 · TUE July 30, 2024
Kyprios confirmed his status as the best stayer in training by regaining the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup crown.
The remarkable six-year-old, who fought off a life-threatening infection last year, did exactly the same in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month and those who backed the 8/13 favourite on Tuesday never had a moment of concern.
Ryan Moore nudged him to the front passing the two-furlong marker and from there it was only a question of what the winning distance would be.
In the end the answer was four lengths from Sweet William (11/2) who got the better of a mini-duel with stablemate Gregory for the runner-up spot.
The winning time was a new course record, nearly three seconds faster than the previous best.
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
Moore said: “He slipped on the top bend today and I was always struggling with my rhythm on him then, so it was always going against him the whole race.
“I ended up having to go there at the two (furlong pole) when I would ideally have liked to wait a bit longer, but he’s just very high class.
“This fella is very, very good. He wouldn’t show you how good he is, but he’s very good. He’s not an Arc horse, he stays well but he wouldn’t be disgraced.
“I remember Aidan ringing me and telling me what happened to him at the end of his good year. I never thought we would see him run again, so all credit to everyone at Ballydoyle for a massive effort.
“It’s fun to ride him because you know he’s that much better than the rest.”
O’Brien added: “He’s a very special horse. He has so much class, really he was going along in second gear the whole time.
“It wasn’t easy for Ryan because he said he felt on the bend he was different to before, obviously he’s had his injury. Ryan said he felt him slip on the top bend and he was always trying to gather him and help him.
“It was an incredible ride, he’s an incredible horse. Obviously, we know that he stays well but he has a lot of class as well, I’m delighted for everybody.”
Betfair make Kyprios a 33/1 shot for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but O’Brien is not planning to drop back in trip for Europe’s premier middle-distance contest.
He added: “The Gold Cup is a very important race for him every year, we were minding him for that.
“We thought if he was OK, we might bring him back to an Irish St Leger again, he’ll hopefully be OK tomorrow and we’ll have him back for that and then have him next year again.
“We have to be very respectful to him, you saw where he came from and it’s hard to believe he’s here today. He did find the undulations of the track a little more difficult than he did before.”
Gosden will take winner on again
John Gosden said of the placed horses: “They were two solid runs behind a very good horse. We are delighted. Races like the Lonsdale Cup at York and Doncaster Cup will be the direction we will go. I am pleased with Gregory. He scoped perfectly going into Royal Ascot but not perfectly coming out of it. That can happen when you have everything spot on. Something can just come along. I don’t know where Kyprios will go next. Irish St Leger? But we won’t be afraid to take him on again. They all have off days, you know.”
Philippa Cooper, owner-breeder of Sweet William, said: “I am so proud of him, I can't tell you. He was on the bridle, off the bridle, which I love because that's why I love these races – it gives them a chance to come back on that bridle. I think he's maturing as well. He put his head down at the end. I know he got a couple of smacks but he's mature enough to take it.”
James Doyle said of Gregory: “It is well documented that he wasn’t right after Royal Ascot, so he has proved he is back to his best today. It was a good run.”
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Fast Results
Scores
