The Tattersalls Gold Cup
Group 1, Curragh 15:05
€500,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus, 1m 2f 110y  
Sunday 25th May 2025

Free Racing Tips

1 Los Angeles 9/4F
2 Anmaat 8/1
3 Kalpana 5/2
9 ran Distances: ½l, 1l, hd
Time: 2m 8.41s (fast by 4.19s)

In a race that crackled with quality from start to finish, it was the towering presence of Los Angeles who stood tallest at the line — class, courage and a cool ride from Ryan Moore combining to land a red-hot renewal at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien’s 9-4 favourite had already laid down a marker with a stylish reappearance in the Mooresbridge, but this was a step up in temperature — and how he responded. Sent off with Ballydoyle confidence behind him and Wayne Lordan ensuring a relentless tempo on pacemaker Continuous, this was a true test of mettle as much as muscle.

Anmaat, making his first appearance since Champions Day in October, cruised ominously into the picture two furlongs out, travelling like the winner. The Owen Burrows-trained warrior, a Group One winner himself, looked to have Los Angeles pinned, but Moore knows this one — and crucially, this one knows a fight.

When asked, Los Angeles lowered himself, surged again, and pulled out just that little bit more — a neck, then a half-length — enough to repel the challenge and stamp himself as a serious force in this division.

Behind, Kalpana stayed on with promise in third, while White Birch endured a less-than-fluent run in transit and had to settle for fourth in a race where even the most minor mistake proved costly.

It was a moment that brought a satisfied nod from O’Brien, who was quick to praise both horse and rider:

“Ryan was brilliant — he knew he had plenty left and was just waiting for the challenge. When it came, the horse responded like only the very best can.”

The master of Ballydoyle was quick to highlight the tactical precision that underpinned the success:

“You need everything to go right in a field like that. Wayne did a great job setting the gallop, it was clean, tight, no hiding places.”

Looking ahead, it’s Royal Ascot next on the agenda — the Prince of Wales’s Stakes pencilled in before a possible tilt at the King George, or a fresher route to an Arc trial ahead of another crack at the big one in Paris.

“Last year’s Arc didn’t suit — he was left in front and started waiting. He needs something to aim at. This year, we’ll get it right. He’s a big, idle horse, but there’s no one tougher in a scrap.”

And a word, too, on the strength of the contest itself — this wasn’t just another Group One.

“You’ll struggle to find a race all year with that depth. The ratings will reflect it — proper mile-and-a-quarter, mile-and-a-half horses all showing up. It’s what we’ve always wanted this race to become.”

On this evidence, Los Angeles has not just arrived — he’s here to stay.

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The Tattersalls Gold Cup (Group 1)
€500,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 110y
9 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (7)    Los Angeles 4 9-5 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 9/4F
2 (6) ½ Anmaat 7 9-5 Owen Burrows Jim Crowley 8/1
3 (1) 1 Kalpana 4 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 5/2
4 (4) hd White Birch 5 9-5 John Joseph Murphy Colin Keane 3/1
5 (3) 2¾ Royal Rhyme 5 9-5 K R Burke Clifford Lee 20/1
6 (2) 1½ Ghostwriter 4 9-5 Clive Cox Rossa Ryan 13/2
7 (8) 5½ Deepone 4 9-5 P Twomey W J Lee 80/1
8 (9) ½ Crypto Force 5 9-5 Adrian Murray David Egan 300/1
9 (5) 3½ Continuous 5 9-5 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 50/1

Odds catcher