Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder featuring four at Ascot

Aidan O’Brien has won the Gold Cup a record eight times including with KYPRIOS (best priced at 11/8) in 2022. The six-year-old won all six of his starts in 2022 including four Group 1s ranging on ground from good to firm to very soft. He was defeated on both of his starts last season but there were excuses for both of those and he has won both well known trials for this race this season.

Kyprios beat Queenstown by 3 ¼ lengths in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan before following up last time by a length in the Saval Bag Stakes at Leopardstown. Ryan Moore will no doubt make his challenge later than when beaten by Trawlerman in the Long Distance Cup and I will be shocked if he didn’t regain his crown. 

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Juddmonte have a strong hand in this race but preference goes to STARLORE (best priced at 10/1) who was a huge eyecatcher at Goodwood a month ago. The Sir Michael Stoute trained colt finished 4th on his reappearance at Newmarket before finishing 7th behind the reopposing Qirat last time. Slowly away that day and suffering a troubled passage throughout that contest, he stayed on well to finish only 2 ½ lengths behind the winner shaping like this step up in trip to a mile for the first time should suit well. 

Off the same mark of 98 in this race, Starlore should relish the conditions of this race and he is well drawn in Stall 22 to run well under Richard Kingscote.

The London Gold Cup has a good record for producing future group winners including the likes of Al Kazeem, Time Test and Headman for this stable and hopefully KING’S GAMBIT (best priced at 13/8) can be another. The three-year-old defied odds of 33/1 to win on his second start at Newbury over a mile before finishing only a head behind the reopposing Bracken’s Laugh when trying to concede 6lbs to that rival.

King’s Gambit won the London Gold Cup on his reappearance off a mark of 93 in impressive style by three lengths and the form of that run has been boosted by Persica winning a competitive handicap on Derby day at Epsom. A rating of 107 puts him in the mix on what he has achieved so far but he remains a colt full of potential to prove better than that mark. 

English Oak is respected following his impressive victory at Haydock last time but I am going to take a chance on FRESH (best priced at 12/1) who has shown his best form at Ascot in his career. The James Fanshawe stable have been in much better form this season and he comes into this race following a close 5th at Haydock last time when only beaten 1 ½ lengths over 6f. 

Fresh has form figures of 21234911000500 at Ascot in his career but he has crucially dropped down to a mark of 92 which is the lowest since winning at this track in May 2021. His two 7f victories here came off marks of 98 and 102 so he is clearly well handicapped and should run well with up to seven places available from Stall 30.