Kyprios completes dramatic fightback

IRON horse Kyprios fought back from the brink to complete a "million to one" comeback in the Gold Cup at Ascot.

- Melissa Jones

Aidan O'Brien's titan of the staying ranks was on an unstoppable, unbeaten six-race streak in 2022 when disaster struck.

The chestnut who remorselessly galloped to a 20-length Qatar Prix du Cadran victory was stabled with a joint infection.

It became so bad that he escaped a brush with death in spring 2023, before O'Brien's Ballydoyle staff took tentative steps to teach the horse to walk again.

And yesterday, in a race that was part of his incredible sequence two years ago, 11-10 favourite Kyprios soared again under Ryan Moore.

"At one stage we thought he wouldn't live," said O'Brien, landing a ninth title with four occupied by race record-holder Yeats.