Racing

‘Something that we’ve never seen before’ - Aidan O’Brien hails Kyprios after stunning Ascot win

Chesnut star makes it a magnificent seven victories from seven starts this season including four Group Ones

Ryan Moore stretches clear on Kyprios to win the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Ryan Moore stretches clear on Kyprios to win the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Sat Oct 19 2024 - 14:34

Kyprios maintained his perfect record this season when stamping his authority on the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot.

Aidan O’Brien’s chestnut was ridden by regular partner Ryan Moore as the 8-11 favourite and came into the race off the back of a remarkable campaign in which he had won each of his six starts, including four successive Group Ones.

He increased that tally to seven overall in the staying event, travelling prominently throughout and kicking into another gear on the turn for home to pull away from the runner-up, John and Thady Gosden’s Sweet William.

Kyprios came home two and a quarter lengths clear, with another Gosden-trained runner in Trawlerman a further length and a half back in third.

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O’Brien said: “What can you say about him. Obviously the people around him, everyone who is around him have made it happen. There’s such a big team and they’ve all played a part.

“He’s a very special horse, something that we’ve never seen before, he’s relentless and has an unbelievable amount of quality.

“If they want to go slow or fast, it doesn’t matter to him. Ryan rides him brilliantly, he knows him inside out.

“We thought John’s horse would go on [Trawlerman] as he made the running last year. If he didn’t then Christophe’s [Soumillon] horse [The Euphrates] is very happy making the running. If John’s horse wanted to go we were very happy and Christophe gave him that opportunity.

“We could see nobody wanted to go so Christophe was very happy to make the running, he did it in the Irish St Leger. If he didn’t go on, Ryan was happy to.

“What can you say about Ryan? When you see him in that position it is usually very good for us.

“He hasn’t had much of a race today, he was the same in France the last day – he lost no weight, ever since then all he’s done is put weight on.

“He’s an incredibly classy horse.”

John Gosden said of the placed horses: “They both have run really well. Aidan’s horses controlled the pace up front and everyone thought there would be a good gallop and the front runners took back, so the fractions were pretty steady before they gradually increased it and kicked off the bend.

“Both of ours ran really well and both would have preferred a stronger, even pace. There was not much William [Buick, on Trawlerman] could have done about it as he was tucked in on the inside and Sweet William was three-wide the whole way.

“They’ve run exceptionally well but the winner has just got a gear more than the rest, simple as that.

“I think we’ll come back with these horses next year. They are lovely horses for staying races and both have great enthusiasm for it, they make it fun. These old long-distance horses make things fun and people enjoy the Gold Cup.”