2022 Ascot Gold Cup: how Ryan Moore and Kyprios stole the Royal Ascot show

The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot went the way of 13-8 favourite Kyprios for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien but it was far from straightforward.

The four-year-old had to battle hard to deny Mojo Star, while three-time winner Stradivarius endured a nightmare run and finished only third.

Gold Cup result and race replay

The key moments in the 2022 Gold Cup

Down the back: Ryan Moore had Kyprios (red cap) in midfield with outsiders Earlofthecotswolds and Tashkhan leading the nine-strong field. He tracked Princess Zoe, a leading contender and a 13-2 shot. Stradivarius (yellow cap) was on the rail and Frankie Dettori glanced over his shoulder to try to find a route out of the pocket.

Up the straight: Moore was forced to get to work early on Kyprios, but he responded for pressure as the field turned into the straight, moving up to challenge Tashkhan (blue). Three-time Gold Cup king Stradivarius could not find the crucial gap he needed under Dettori and things became increasingly desperate as Kyprios edged right.

Two furlongs out: Dettori and Stradivarius were forced widest despite travelling well. Dettori took a pull to move past the back of Mojo Star and get a clear passage. He was out on his own but Kyprios found plenty and Mojo Star battled back. The pair started to kick clear.

Furlong out: the front two were locked in battle approaching the final furlong while Stradivarius stayed on strongly, moving up into fourth. Meanwhile, Burning Victory sneaked through a golden passage on the inside but struggled to keep up with the first three.

At the finish: Kyprios found more at the finish as Stradivarius stayed on strongly. Mojo Star did enough to hold him off for second but was half a length off the winner.

Ruby Walsh on ITV: 'It's like a bird's nest, there was nowhere for Frankie Dettori to go'

Ruby Walsh, in his role as a pundit on ITV Racing, reflects on how the Gold Cup was ridden

I think there was a lot of really good riding in here and that probably contributed to the traffic troubles that Frankie Dettori eventually has.

He was drawn in stall two, he's been drawn there before, twice when he's won the Gold Cup. Frankie was never ultimately happy with where he was and he starts looking outside him from very early on in the race, like he's already thinking, 'I need to get myself out of here'. He's going to go back and get on Kyprios's tail, the eventual winner under Ryan Moore because being the favourite he's the right horse to track.

But directly behind him in the purple is Rossa Ryan and Mojo Star, he never really leaves a gap for Frankie to get out and get on to Ryan Moore's tail. He stays directly behind Ryan and doesn't allow the space to open for Frankie to move Stradivarius out. At the bottom of the track, Ryan is moving out on to the tail of Princess Zoe.

Frankie doesn't want to go down the inside, to be right behind Bubble Smart. Already Rossa Ryan is glued to Frankie outside him, he's not leaving the gap between himself and the winner Kyprios for Frankie to get into.

They turn up from Swinley Bottom and this is really, really tight. It's like a bird's nest, there is nowhere for Frankie Dettori to go.

Look at the run Burning Victory gets, the run was there for Stradivarius. Everyone on the outside is keeping it tight, but Burning Victory comes round nobody from stone last and gets the run of the race. Frankie has gone the other way, doesn't get out, Joey Sheridan doesn't move, Ryan Moore doesn't move and neither does Rossa Ryan.

Frankie eventually gets out but it's too late. That's race-riding, that's the decisions you make. When you go back and see the run that William Buick got, that could have been his if he'd stayed there.

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