Yeats dominates Ascot Gold Cup for second straight year

Yeats joined an illustrious honor roll by capturing consecutive Ascot Gold Cups (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com) Susan Magnier and Diane Nagle's YEATS (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) joined an elite list of dual winners of the Ascot Gold Cup (Eng-G1) on Thursday when recording a 1 1/2-length success in the bicentennial running of the prestigious race. He was tackling a marathon trip for the first time when a generous 7-1 last year, but had cemented his place in the higher echelon of stayers after his four-length win and traded at 8-13 this time. For Mick Kinane, the weight of expectation meant that there could only be one result and that was assured when he struck at the top of the stretch. Eased over from his wide draw to race against the rail halfway down the field early, Yeats was moved off the fence on the run to the home turn. Taking Kinane to the front before the quarter pole, he drifted left out on his own, but straightened when Jamie Spencer appeared on his inner with the rallying Geordieland (Johann Quatz [Fr]) to find an extra spurt. Despite the presence of that rival, the six-year-old Yeats was always in command and required only hand riding to assert. "He's developed into a beautiful individual and (trainer) Aidan (O'Brien) said he had put on 12 kilos since last year, which is a lot," Kinane said. "He had settled beautifully and I decided to go round the outside and take a prominent position, as I didn't think anything in front of me was going well enough to tow me and I knew he would take three or four lengths out of whatever was behind me. He felt fabulous and has matured -- he enjoys his racing and it's all about staying sound and getting here next year, when he'll be the one they're all going to have to beat."

Yeats was near the top of the class over middle distances when returning from

injury at four, putting in a career-best when winning Epsom's Coronation Cup

(Eng-G1). However, it was after his stunning victory in this race 12 months ago

that his forte was discovered and he duly doubled up under a stiff penalty in

the Goodwood Cup (Eng-G2) in August. Subsequently second in the Irish St Leger

(Ire-G1) at The Curragh in September and seventh as the highweight in the

Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) at Flemington in November, the bay made light work of two

facile tasks in the April 29 Vintage Crop S. at Navan and Leopardstown's May 30

Saval Beg S. as he prepped for his return here.

"He was hard and fit last year, but was carrying more bulk today and with him

getting sharper and quicker in his work we didn't really know what to expect,"

O'Brien said. "Mick knew all that and rode him with a lot of confidence and he

was only dossing in front -- it's a long way up the straight and he's always

done that.

"Seamus (Heffernan) had said in his two races this year that he was winning

his races very quickly and he seems to have developed more acceleration. We'll

make a plan next week, but all the top races are open to him and we have options

like the (August 2) Goodwood Cup (Eng-G2) and (September 15) Irish St Leger

(at The Curragh) and, if we're all here next year, that would be great.

He's a very classy horse and he's getting better with age."

"My fellow's run a fabulous race and has pulled a long way clear of the

third, but a horse like Yeats probably comes along once every 20 years and he

was top-class when I was supposed to ride him in the Derby three years ago,"

Spencer said of the runner-up. "Geordieland has a massive turn of foot for a

stayer and if we can dodge Yeats, I think he'll pick up a big one as the season

goes on."