Historic Third Gold Cup for Yeats

19th June 2008

IF or many who enjoyed the many excitements of Royal Ascot last week, it was a seven-year-old by the most successful stallion of all time who provided the highlight of five sensational days' racing.

Sadler's Wells may have retired this year but his impact is still keenly felt on the racecourse not least via the great Yeats (7h Sadler's Wells-Lyndonville, by Top Ville) who became only the second horse ever to win three G1 Gold Cups on Thursday.

Trained by Aidan O'Brien for Sue Magnier and Diane Nagle, the seven year-old looked beforehand to face some formidable opposition but strode clear of last year's runner-up Geordieland to score by five lengths.

O'Brien said: "It was marvellous and I didn't believe it could happen. To win one Gold Cup was unbelievable, to win two was amazing and to win three, what can I say? Everybody at home was involved in getting the horse here year to year.

"He's an unbelievable stayer. This is the horse that was unbeaten on his first four starts, was favourite for the Derby before he got injured on his third run as a three-year-old and didn't run anymore that year. He came back first run as a four-year-old and came back and won the Coronation Cup. He's a stayer with unbelievable class.

"He's just one of those unique horses with a massive heart, a massive pair of lungs, great rhythm and the great determination to win. He's a unique horse. The people at home make it happen. They are directly involved with him, they work with him every day, and they deserve the credit.

"The majority of Flat horses are, in boxing terms, a middle/light weight but this fella is a heavyweight. As a horse, he thinks it and knows it and that's very unusual. We'll go home and talk to the owners and then we will decide what to do and all of the Cup races are open to him. There is always a chance that he could come back here next year but I couldn't say for definite until we go home and talk about it, but I know that when he goes, we won't get another one."