Kyprios resolute in Ascot Gold Cup, holds Mojo Star and Stradivarius at bay

Two colts half his age - Kyprios and Mojo Star - kept the popular 8-year-old Stradivarius from a record-equaling fourth career win in Thursday’s Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in England.

Kyprios ($4.30) held off a late threat from 8-1 Mojo Star to win the historic race at 2 1/2 miles by a half-length. Mojo Star finished three-quarters of a length in front of 2-1 Stradivarius in a field of nine.

All three had chances to win through the stretch.

Kyprios, ridden by Ryan Moore, took the lead with a quarter-mile remaining and repelled a challenge from Mojo Star in the final furlong to win the longest race of his career. Stradivarius was toward the back of the field with three furlongs remaining and was moved to the outside by jockey Frankie Dettori after racing in traffic in early stretch.

Stradivarius closed ground in the final furlong, but could not reach the first two finishers, both 4-year-old colts.

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“There are younger horses there that are first and second,” said John Gosden, who trains Stradivarius. “I just wish we had been a little handier, and not had to go through a wall of horses.”

Kyprios had his Group 1 debut in the Ascot Gold Cup, his third consecutive win. Trained by Aidan O’Brien for a partnership that includes the Coolmore syndicate, Moyglare Stud, and Georg von Opel, the Irish-bred Kyprios has won 5 of 7 starts.

Earlier this year, Kyprios won two races at 1 3/4 miles in Ireland – the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan Racecourse on April 23 and the Group 3 Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown on May 13.

O’Brien was left impressed when Kyprios handled the extended distance of the Gold Cup.

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“We always thought he was courageous, although you never know what will happen when you go past two miles,” O’Brien said. “He had the same tenacity that he showed all the other times and Ryan was very strong on him.

“When he wanted him to go, he did. It was great Stradivarius was here. It makes these races even more special and incredible.”

Last year, Kyprios was scratched from the Queen’s Vase Stakes at Royal Ascot when he became upset in the gate. He was a 9-2 contender at the time.

O’Brien has won the Ascot Gold Cup a record eight times, including four consecutive runnings from 2006-2009 with Yeats. Stradivarius won the Ascot Gold Cup three times from 2018-2020 and missed a second chance to equal the all-time number of wins on Thursday. Last year, Stradivarius was fourth in the 2021 Ascot Gold Cup.