Aidan O'Brien strikes gold with Fame And Glory

Fame And Glory continued Ballydoyle's great tradition in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Following in the hoofprints of his former stablemate Yeats, who famously won four Gold Cups, the five-year-old stayed every yard of the two-and-a-half-mile trip. Jamie Spencer kicked on two furlongs out on Aidan O'Brien's 2009 Irish Derby winner, and the 11-8 favourite had plenty left to hold off Godolphin's Opinion Poll by three lengths, with Brigantin third.

Tastahil set out to make all of the running before the veteran Geordieland, who so often found Yeats his nemesis in this race, pulled himself to the front. But unfortunately for his connections, Geordieland had soon shot his bolt and was pulled up. Duncan was the first of the big guns to play his hand, with Askar Tau travelling sweetly for George Baker. But Spencer had not moved until the field turned into the straight.

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He used his class to pull well clear of the field before Mickael Barzalona brought Opinion Poll (16-1) from the rear of the field to pass all bar the impressive winner.

"It was a very easy, push-button ride," said Spencer. "It was a great training performance. Everybody was doubting him for the last few weeks, but we never had any doubts and I'm absolutely tickled pink."

O'Brien said: "I'm delighted for everybody and for Jamie, who gave him a great ride. When horses have so much class they can often stay - class makes them stay. It's the ultimate test of class when you go that extreme distance. I'm just very privileged to have him."

"The plan was after today to give him a break and train him for the Arc again, so we'll take one step at a time and do like we always did with Yeats and give him a run at the back-end. We'll give him a break now and hopefully give him a run before the Arc. The Gold Cup next year? Wouldn't it be marvellous."

Coolmore supremo John Magnier added: "It's a very special race and winning it, you get a very special buzz out of that. He had all the credentials in that he was a class horse, so it was just a matter of would he stay.

"If I said to the others I wanted to retire him, I know what the others would say - they wouldn't want to. If he's well and healthy, this is the place for him.

"He's a very consistent horse, there's no doubt about it and, unless we mess him up, he could run up a sequence, but it's hard to keep horses sound. If Sea The Stars hadn't been there, this fellow would have been retired to stud as a Derby winner."

With more heavy rain forecast for day four of Royal Ascot, Nathaniel has the look of a banker selection in the King Edward VII Stakes. If the Met Office is on the money, trainer John Gosden has every right to expect deliverance in Berkshire, albeit in what looks an above-average renewal.Theyskens' Theory had to miss her chance at Classic glory due to a chest infection but compensation awaits in the Coronation Stakes. Brian Meehan had prepared the three-year-old for a crack at the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket but she eventually had to miss out. However, Theyskens' Theory looks to be out of the top drawer having held her own against the very best juveniles last season, beating Blue Bunting, the subsequent 1,000 Guineas winner, by five lengths at Newmarket.

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Teolane is napped in the Albany Stakes. Jim Bolger's filly brings to the table the best level of form, having trotted up in a decent Listed race at Naas last month. Luca Cumani's Forte De Marmi could be the answer to the Wolferton Stakes, while in the concluding Buckingham Palace Stakes, a little each-way interest in Docofthebay could represent a shrewd piece of business.