Kyprios© Photo Healy Racing
Kyprios is likely to be a very short price when he attempts to regain the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday.
Aidan O’Brien’s star stayer won the two-mile showpiece in 2022, in the middle of a glorious campaign which also saw him win the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, the Irish St Leger and the Prix du Cadran – the latter by an astonishing 20 lengths.
He looked set to rule the division for a long time, but almost lost his life in the following spring and O’Brien felt it was a bonus to get him back for two races last autumn.
This year has been much more straightforward, with Kyprios winning the Vintage Crop and Saval Beg before reclaiming the Gold Cup. Now he is aiming to do the same at Goodwood.
“He’s a very special horse with a lot more class than most people think,” said O’Brien.
“He does stay, which is unusual, but he’d have no problem being a Group horse over a mile and a quarter. As he goes up in distance, he just gets better.
“Those good stayers are very rare. When you go to those distances, very few horses get them really, but he has the class and gets the trip as well.
“Obviously we’ve been delighted to have him back this year, given what happened to him.
“Everything has gone smoothly since Ascot, we’ve been delighted. Hopefully he’ll run well again.”
His main market rivals are the John and Thady Gosden-trained duo of Sweet William and Gregory.
Gregory won the Queen’s Vase at Ascot last year, but is without a win since. He appeared not to see out the trip in the Gold Cup, but John Gosden felt he was not right on the day.
“Gregory just wasn’t right there, and he wasn’t right after the race. He’d worked well going into it, but he just didn’t fire and that can happen,” he said.
James Doyle will take the ride and he concurs.
“Gregory’s work has been good since Ascot, where he just wasn’t 100 per cent,” said Wathnan Racing’s retained rider.
“I’m sure it was his well-being, rather than the trip, that was the problem there, but coming back to two miles wouldn’t be a negative for him. We are on the comeback trail and he seems in good order.”
There is another previous winner in the line up with Alan King’s popular eight-year-old Trueshan back for another go.
He struck in 2021 and having seemingly been on the downgrade with two defeats earlier in the season, bounced back to winning ways in the Coral Marathon last time out.
His rider Hollie Doyle is just hoping the ground does not dry up too much.
“Hopefully it will still be good ground at least on the first day. It was a great day when he won the Goodwood Cup three years ago, and that first Group One win was so well deserved after all he had done.
“He’s often been bogged down by penalties since then, so it was just lovely to see him enjoying himself at Sandown last time.
“It’s a deeper race at Goodwood this time, but I just hope Sandown has done his confidence good.”
Karl Burke’s Al Qareem, Andrew Balding’s Coltrane and the Brian Ellison-trained Tashkhan complete the field.
