Royal Ascot

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royal ascot 2011/

Fame And Glory Claims Gold Cup Success
16/06/11

1 Fame And Glory 11/8F
2 Opinion Poll 16/1
3 Brigantin 16/1
15 ran Distances: 3l, 4½l, ½l
TIME 4m 37.51s (slow by 16.51s)

Fame And Glory added extreme stamina to his undoubted class and ran out an easy winner of today's Gold Cup.

Fame And Glory
© racing-images.co.uk

Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Jamie Spencer in the colours of Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier and Fitri Hay, Fame And Glory won by three lengths after swooping into the lead in Ascot's finishing straight. Mrs Hay and her husband Jim bought into the horse during the close season, and Spencer, a former stable jockey for O'Brien and a frequent rider in the Hays's colours, has become the regular partner of the five-year-old son of Montjeu. He is a four-time Group 1 winner, and runner-up to Sea The Stars in the 2009 Investec Derby. Today he became O'Brien's fifth Gold Cup success following four victories by Yeats.

The winning trainer said: "That was a great ride by Jamie and it's thanks to everybody who allowed a horse of this class to run in the Gold Cup. You'll see very few mile-and-a-quarter Group 1 winners tackling the race. I'm delighted.
"When horses have so much class they often stay and he did - it's a privilege to train him. Jamie had ridden him in two races [earlier this season] and he was confident he would stay.

"He's a mature horse now, and he's been running in Group 1 races at two, three and four - he was the ideal candidate for this race if he stayed the trip. I'm never confident, I'm always hopeful, but he stayed a mile and a half at top level and you just hoped he would stay this extreme distance.

"The plan after today was to give him a rest and train him for the Arc, but we'll take one day at a time. We'll give him a break now and then a race before the Arc, and then back for the Gold Cup next year.

Spencer said: "We didn't go very fast early but they injected some pace after a mile and a half. My fellow was keen, but he's used to going a different pace and he wanted the extra pace to feel comfortable. I'm privileged to ride him and I'm grateful to Dr and Mrs Hay for investing in the horse. It's a great training performance by Aidan - people had their doubts as to whether he would stay but I never had any doubts."

Spencer was out of luck on Cape Blanco - another horse in which the Hays are new shareholders - in Tuesday's Queen Anne Stakes, and he said: "If I could have put a bag over my head and got to the car without being spotted by anyone I would - this place is great when you are winning, but it's the loneliest place when things go wrong."

John Magnier, head of the Coolmore/Ballydoyle axis, said: "This race has a history and Derrick and Michael love their racing. The Hays bought into the horse during the winter - Jim made a statement to someone that he had plenty of money and he wanted plenty of fun.

"The horse had all the credentials in that he had the class, so the question was whether he would stay. If he got the trip, all the stars were aligned.

"If I said I wanted to retire him to stud now I know the others would say ‘let's keep racing'. If the horse is well and healthy this is the place for him.

"He could run up a sequence in this race, but if Sea The Stars hadn't run at Epsom this horse would be retired to stud as a Derby winner."

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Fame And Glory A P O'Brien	J P Spencer 9st 2lbs	11 - 8 Winner
2	Opinion Poll M Al Zarooni	M Barzalona 9st 2lbs	16 - 1 3 lengths
3	Brigantin A Fabre	P C Boudot 9st 0lbs	16 - 1 4 1/2 lengths
4	Manighar L M Cumani	K Fallon 9st 2lbs	14 - 1 1/2 length
5	Askar Tau M P Tregoning	G Baker 9st 2lbs	66 - 1 1/2 length
6	Duncan J H M Gosden	William Buick 9st 2lbs	8 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
7	Kasbah Bliss F Doumen	T Thulliez 9st 2lbs	16 - 1 Short Head
8	Aaim To Prosper B J Meehan	R L Moore 9st 2lbs	22 - 1 1 3/4 length
9	Motrice Sir Mark Prescott	S Sanders 8st 11lbs	22 - 1 6 lengths
10	Blue Bajan D O'Meara	D Tudhope 9st 2lbs	11 - 1 1/2 length
11	The Betchworth Kid A King	Hayley Turner 9st 2lbs	40 - 1 26 lengths
12	Fictional Account V C Ward	F M Berry 8st 13lbs	20 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
13	Holberg S bin Suroor	L Dettori 9st 2lbs	10 - 1 73 lengths
PulledUp	Geordieland J A Osborne	R Hughes 9st 2lbs	25 - 1
PulledUp	Tastahil B W Hills	R Hills 9st 2lbs	16 - 1

NO POUR MOI REPEAT FOR BARZALONA

Mickael Barzalona swooped with a famous late flourish to snatch the Derby aboard Pour Moi 13 days ago but came up three lengths short when attempting a similar feat aboard 16/1 shot Opinion Poll in the Gold Cup.

The Godolphin five-year-old relished the rain-softened ground as he bravely pursued the victorious Fame And Glory down the home straight in the two and a half-mile showpiece.

Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager, commented: "That was a super effort and the Goodwood Cup would be a suitable next step. The ground helped him today - he goes on quicker ground but he really does prefer to get his toe in.

"He finished very well but not quite as well as Pour Moi. We were hoping for that stand-up finish with Mickael but it wasn't to be.

"Mickael put him to sleep at the back of the field and he picked up really well, so we are pleased."

Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni added: "There are no certain plans right now - we need to sit down and discuss options. I am pleased that he has come back to form and the jockey said he loved the ground. He was just beaten by a better horse."

Andre Fabre saddled the French raider Brigantin to finish a further four and a half lengths back in third, sporting the colours of Team Valor. The Pierre-Charles Boudot-ridden four-year-old was also sent off at odds of 16/1.

David Munro, part-owner of Brigantin, said: "This horse is coming into his own now and will hopefully improve from today. The race went fine for him and the Melbourne Cup is where we would like to go. I don't know where he will run next, Barry Irwin (of Team Valor) makes the decisions."

Luca Cumani has no intention of pitching fourth-placed Manighar against Fame And Glory again. The five-year-old, half a length behind Brigantin, is being aimed towards Australia's premier race, the Melbourne Cup, in November.

Cumani revealed: "I think he ran a great race and this soft is okay for him. There were two or three quicker than him in the end but he has shown today that he belongs in Cup races. I think we were cost third today by exposing too early, perhaps. We will try and keep away from Fame And Glory and then he might have his own fame and glory.

"We don't want to run on fast ground and we will avoid the winner but we will look at Goodwood, York, Doncaster and races in France. He will probably be on a plane to the Melbourne Cup in the autumn."

Richard Hughes, rider of Geordieland, said: "He was hacking early on and ran too gassy all the way."