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.
