YEATS MAKES HISTORY WITH FOURTH GOLD CUP WIN

YEATS showed all his brilliance to record an unprecedented fourth victory in the Ascot Gold Cup.

The super stayer's rider, Johnny Murtagh, was keen to make it a real test of stamina and struck for home on the winner over three furlongs out. He quickly opened up a clear lead and never looked like being caught from that moment.

Yeats's victory was the first for an eight-year-old in the staying showpiece in more than a century and he now goes down in history as the greatest Flat stayer of all time.

The early pace, set by outsider Hindu Kush, was only moderate and Murtagh settled his mount in a close third. At the six-furlong marker, Veracity moved into the lead, stalked by Yeats.

Murtagh asked his partner for maximum effort before three out and Yeats quickened away like a true great. It proved a race-winning move as although Patkai closed the gap in the final furlong, he was never going to get to Yeats.

The winner was well backed and sent off the 6-4 favourite with Patkai returning at 9-2. Geordieland, who was never close enough to land a blow, plugged on for third at 11-4. Yeats has been installed 5-1 joint favourite with Patkai for next year's Gold Cup with William Hill.

Winning trainer Aidan O'Brien was quick to pay tribute to his champion, he said: "Unbelievable - that's all I can say. I was so sick this morning as I really believed this couldn't happen."

"History is very hard to change, we knew we had a wonderful horse but usually fairytales don't come true."

"You dream and dream and dream, we were in this position and we never would be again - great things can happen."

"I think today Johnny had a lot of pressure on his shoulders and the way he handled it, and the way he rode it, it was something else. I couldn't believe it."

"He's an unbelievable horse and we knew there would never be another one of him."

"HowJohnny could ride him with such pressure on him. I've never felt pressure for any race before and this horse was the only time."

Yeats

by Sean McMahon

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Yeats, Ascot Gold Cup

by Alex Jawdokimov

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