Simple Verse Is My Gold Cup Safety Net

Paul Jacobs on the Ascot stayers’ crown.

- Paul Jacobs

June is really all about one racing festival, Royal Ascot, but you can forget about all the over the top hats, Champagne and those dreadful fashion commentators on TV, it’s the racing that counts, pure and simple.

There are handicaps galore through the five days and we will come to some antepost events in that arena in a moment, but the feature race for many remains the Ascot Gold Cup.

Last year’s winner ORDER OF ST GEORGE is the 2/1 favourite at the time of writing despite being given a less than satisfactory ride by Ryan Moore.

A second in the Vintage Crop Stakes first time up was a fair start to his 2017 campaign especially as it was over 14 furlongs. Of course you will now shouting at the page and saying he was placed in an Arc.

However, there is little doubt that an extended trip is his domain and in reality the son of Galileo got Moore out of trouble by quickening twice and then staying on really strongly.