The Ascot Gold Cup is a Group 1 contest run over 2m4f. It takes place at 16:20 on Thursday 22nd June, which is the third day of Royal Ascot 2023. View the runners here, and also make sure to check out the odds and tips on offer for this race.

NO.DRAW
FORM

HORSE

ODDS

JOCKEY& TRAINER

AGE

WGT

RPR

2⁽¹⁴⁾

68-513

Broome

J: Wayne Lordan

T: A P O'Brien

9-4

118

130

Acts on any going; spent most of the last two years over 1m4f, last season's highlight when winning the Group 2 Hardwicke at Royal Ascot; arriving late on the scene to grab the 2m Dubai Gold Cup this March opened up new horizons as a stayer and is among the best recent form in this line-up, which however he failed to back up in the 1m6f Yorkshire Cup; not totally dismissed.

5⁽⁴⁾

61-552

Nate The Great

J: Harry Davies

T: Andrew Balding

9-4

106

120

Best efforts on good or firmer; ran at Royal Ascot as 2yo, 3yo, 4yo and 6yo, underperforming in the 2m5f Queen Alexandra on last two occasions and he has a major question to answer beyond 2m; hit career-best form elsewhere last term and reproduced it on the two occasions he's had his ground this season, but he's up against it at this level.

NR⁽⁸⁾

321-24

Trueshan

T: Alan King

9-4

117

129

Withdrawn at the last two Royal Ascots because the ground was good to firm, with his best turf efforts having been on good to soft or soft; narrowly beat Coltrane here last October for a third win in the 2m British Champions Long Distance Cup, but some very short-priced defeats have crept in and he lost his unbeaten Ascot record in comprehensive fashion behind Coltrane on latest start; had the best form of any of these when at his peak but he's now had wind surgery to try to stop the slide.

13⁽⁷⁾

1/212-

Echoes In Rain

J: Tom Marquand

T: W P Mullins

9-1

102

117

Very smart hurdler, never better than when running away with a 2m3f Grade 1 for her own sex at the Punchestown Festival in April on latest outing (on good to yielding; unraced on firmer); her only Flat runs for current yard were in handicaps last term, including a 2m1f win at the Galway Festival (soft) before she was pipped in the 2m Irish Cesarewitch; tendency to race freely is a nagging concern but she's not fully exposed in this sphere and could be open to further improvement, which is greatly needed.

6⁽¹¹⁾

/11/03

Subjectivist

J: Joe Fanning

T: Charlie Johnston

9-4

117

126

Comprehensively on top in the Dubai Gold Cup (2m) and this contest (good to firm; by 5l) in his only two races in 2021, as 4yo; tendon injury kept him off until early this year when he ran in Saudi Arabia and again in the Dubai Gold Cup, putting up a bold show long way in the latter before conceding 5l to Broome; formidable at his peak and it is possible that he needed those runs before returning to concert pitch.

1⁽¹³⁾

16-413

Big Call

J: Stephane Pasquier

T: C Ferland

9-4

110

125

Probably versatile regarding the ground; last six races were at about 1m7f, winning two Group 3s at Longchamp; the latter win came when he made all in April and he was a respectable third in a Group 2 one month later; with the slower tempo of French races, it could be argued that his stamina might not have come fully into play yet; some improvement is needed, though.

9⁽⁵⁾

141-12

Wise Eagle

J: Daniel Tudhope

T: Adam Nicol

9-4

107

119

Acts on good to firm and good to soft; very productive and progressive for Adam Nicol in the last two and a half years and won last term on the two times he's gone up to 2m2f; this season he won a good 1m6f handicap at Musselburgh before his second of six to Coltrane here (2m) on first attempt at a Group race; while the latter was his best form, he received 5lb from the winner and was beaten 5l, which adds up to a tough task today.

4⁽²⁾

357-52

Lone Eagle

J: Rossa Ryan

T: Ralph Beckett

9-4

109

123

More to prove if the ground is firmer than good; caught close home in the 2021 Irish Derby; has had a troubled time since but, blinkered for new yard this season, his most positive performance over those nearly two years came on latest start when second in Group 3 at Chester (1m5f, soft) and he shaped as if he would stay further; much better will be required to win this but that Irish Derby form gives a little hope.

10⁽⁶⁾

2231-4

Yibir

J: William Buick

T: Charlie Appleby

9-4

117

125

Best on good or firmer; 2021 victories included Breeders' Cup Turf but there were mixed messages (he looked less than straightforward) in his abbreviated 2022 campaign; had clearly the best form going into Newbury Group 3 last month when he came only fourth, admittedly after 317 days off; usually stays on well and his dam won at up to 2m, but it's hard to be confident that this test (7f further than he's gone before) will see him back in the best light.

3⁽¹²⁾

4212-1

Coltrane

J: Oisin Murphy

T: Andrew Balding

9-4

117

129

Winning the 2m4f Ascot Stakes here (good to firm) one year ago signalled the end of his handicapping days and now he's a rising force in Group races; sole appearance in a Group 1 when fourth in the Goodwood Cup last July, but taking care of Wise Eagle and others so impressively here (good to soft) in May confirmed he should now be ready to hold his own at the top level.

NR⁽¹⁾

543-34

Tashkhan

T: Brian Ellison

9-4

108

121

Smart stayer, albeit yet to win out of handicap company and not in any race since July 2021; go back to his battling second to Trueshan here (2m, good to soft) that October and a case could be argued for him; however, he's not lived up to that and although his best form from seven runs since came in this race (good to firm) last year, he was beaten 5l into fifth that day; fourth to Big Call in France on latest start; work to do.

14⁽³⁾

461-16

Emily Dickinson

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O'Brien

9-0

111

130

Only fifth and third in her two runs on good to firm but they seemed creditable at the time; 3l fifth to Eldar Eldarov in the St Leger sums up her standing last term but markedly improved form when 5l Listed winner (1m6f, heavy) on return and that makes her a leading contender on form today; trainer is adamant that run of the race explains her flop on good ground five weeks ago; 2m win in the mud last October was in lesser company but provides a tantalising glimpse of what she might achieve with major stamina test.

12⁽¹⁰⁾

1417-2

Eldar Eldarov

J: David Egan

T: Roger Varian

9-3

118

131

Acts on good to firm and good to soft; wins in the 2022 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot and St Leger at Doncaster, plus his close second in the Yorkshire Cup at York (clear best horse at the weights) five weeks ago, were all at about 1m6f and could not have suggested much more strongly that he will relish going over further; it didn't happen over 2m here last October but he's readily forgiven that end-of-season effort; serious form and potential.

11⁽⁹⁾

11-1

Courage Mon Ami

J: Frankie Dettori

T: John & Thady Gosden

9-3

106

123

The way he made light work in the end of two 1m4f novice races on AW last autumn marked him down as a very serious prospect; handicap win at Goodwood (1m6f, good to firm; smart form) last month confirmed that in spades, as class and stamina came into play late on; 2m+ looks sure to suit and, although this company is of a radically higher order than in those three races, it is hard to put a ceiling right now on what he might achieve.

RACING POST TIP

Eldar Eldarov

The 4yo ELDAR ELDAROV (nap) and 6yo Coltrane have arrived at the Gold Cup via very different routes but look well worth their places at the head of the betting. Coltrane has nothing to prove over C&D and has had to dig deep plenty of times before, but Eldar Eldarov looks thoroughly worth this second venture beyond the extended 1m6f of his St Leger triumph. He faced a daunting deficit entering the straight in last year's Queen's Vase at this meeting and the way he addressed that major problem to snatch victory shouted stamina, as did his close second when he reappeared last month in the Yorkshire Cup. Courage Mon Ami is both unusually unexposed and unusually promising, but he clearly has a fair bit more to prove contesting the season's top staying race. Subjectivist won it two years ago and is not dismissed lightly but whether his comeback can reach the same heights remains to be seen. Emily Dickinson can see the trip out if she does not need softer ground.

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Year	Horse [Draw]	Age	Weight	SP	Trainer	Jockey
2022	Kyprios [5]	5	9-1	13/8	Aidan O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2021	Subjectivist [4]	4	9-1	13/2	Mark Johnston	Joe Fanning
2020	Stradivarius [2]	6	9-2	4/5F	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2019	Stradivarius [2]	5	9-2	EvensF	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2018	Stradivarius [6]	4	9-1	7/4J	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2017	Big Orange [7]	6	9-2	5/1	Michael Bell	James Doyle
2016	Order Of St George [10]	4	9-0	10/11F	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2015	Trip To Paris [13]	4	9-0	12/1	Ed Dunlop	Graham Lee
2014	Leading Light [14]	4	9-0	10/11F	A P O’Brien	Joseph O’Brien
2013	Estimate [5]	4	8-11	7/2F	Sir Michael Stoute	Ryan Moore
2012	Colour Vision [5]	4	9-0	6/1	Saeed bin Suroor	Frankie Dettori

Key race stats

Sire stamina index in excess of 9.5f, 10/10
Won within last two starts, 9/10
Adjusted RPR of at least 127, 9/10
Group-race winner, 9/10 (six had won a Group 1)
Won over at least 2m, 9/10
Rated within 5lb of RPR top-rated, 8/10 (five were top-rated)

Other factors

Eight winners were competing in the race for the first time (Stradavarius in 2019 and 2020 accounts for both exceptions).
Winners of the Sagaro Stakes finished 117273224.
Six favourites have won in the last decade (including one joint-favourite) but Stradivarius was the only one to have previously scored over the trip.

What happened last year?

The rise of the new star stayer continued as Kyprios toughed it out to hold off the unexposed Mojo Star and three-time Gold Cup winner Stradivarius. Kyprios had the smoothest passage, while Stradivarius had to come off heels and was pulled widest of the nine-runner field to make his challenge. This was the start of a Group 1 four-timer for Kyprios, who followed up with victory in the Goodwood Cup (in which Stradivarius was a neck second), the Irish St Leger and the Prix du Cadran, in which he demolished the field by an astonishing 20 lengths.

Ascot Gold Cup

16:20 Royal Ascot

RACING POST TIP

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Key race stats

What happened last year?

All Races