Day Three of Royal Ascot was all about the “million to one” repeat victory by blue blooded Galileo stallion Kyprios in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup for Aidan O’Brien after injury had appeared to finish his career.
Raced by an ownership group involving his breeders Moyglare Stud and the Coolmore partners, Kyprios had won the Gold Cup in 2022 at his seventh start in a stunning four year-old campaign which saw subsequent wins in the G1 Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger and Prix Du Cadran.
It was then however that a joint injury and subsequent infection saw him not only out of racing but no good thing to survive.
"I'd say it's millions to one and really impossible for him to come back from what he came back from," said O'Brien.
"At one stage we weren't sure he'd live.”
Survive he did though and after O’Brien had given Kyprios two lead up runs in Ireland, he again proved the superior stayer at Ascot, beating Godolphin’s brave Trawlerman (Golden Horn) by a length, with six lengths back to Sweet William (Sea The Stars).
Kyprios is the last foal of blue hen Polished Gem (Danehill), a remarkable mare that has had 10 to the races, all of them winners, eight of them stakeswinners, three of them Group One winners and four of them crowned Champions in various seasons:
Search for a Song (Galileo) G1
Free Eagle (High Chaparral) G1
Custom Cut (Notnowcato) G2
Sapphire (Medicean) G2
Valac (Dark Angel) G3
Falcon Eight (Galileo) G3
Amma Grace (Galileo) Listed
The five furlong Group II Queen Mary Stakes winner Leovanni, on day two of Royal Ascot is also from the family.
It was another strong day at Ascot for Coolmore having earlier won the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes (1m 4f) with three-year-old filly Port Fairy, scoring her first stakes win.
By Australia, she is the second foal and first to the races for Fastnet Rock mare Fabulae, a grand-daughter of Champion race mare Shiva, however she retired having failed to place in six very unremarkable appearances.
Port Fairy will now likely head to the Irish Oaks.
