Kinane to gain sweet revenge

13 April 2012

Royal Rebel tomorrow aims to become the first horse since former stablemate, Double Trigger, in 1995 to add Ascot Gold Cup victory to success in the same season's JP Morgan Private Bank Goodwood Cup. But, although six of the first seven home at the Royal Meeting reoppose here - fifth-placed Marienbard excepting - expect a very different order home.

For starters, Goodwood's Cup race is staged over an undulating two miles rather than Ascot's testing two-and-a-half-mile trip, with a stiff uphill finish thrown in to expose even the slightest stamina limitation. The first four - Royal Rebel, Persian Punch, Jardines Lookout and San Sebastian - all relish this extreme trip, on which the accent is slightly less at this Sussex venue.

Secondly, this is a Group Two event rather than a Group One, as at Ascot. This means that beyond the usual weight-for-age scale, horses who have won at Group One and Two standard since June 2000 must shoulder a 5lb or 3lb penalty respectively rather than racing off level weights. Royal Rebel and San Sebastian fall into the first category, Persian Punch in the latter.

We also have three-year-olds in this event, but statistics suggest they might as well not turn up. Only six have triumphed since 1952, although not many attempt it these days, and the most recent was Lucky Moon 11 years ago. So Bosham Mill, Double Honour and twice-raced maiden - trained by Clive Brittain - Morro Castle have the weight of history against them.

Royal Rebel was unfettered by a Group One penalty when beating Ascot Gold Cup runner-up, Far Cry, in this a year ago. He enjoyed an annus mirabilis in 2000 and was unlucky not to win Longchamp's Group One Prix du Cadran on Arc day last October. Then- jockey Mick Kinane dropped his whip, losing vital momentum on a horse that needs bullying all the way to the line. San Sebastian prevailed instead, by half a length from Persian Punch.

But Kinane abandoned Royal Rebel after the first of two seriously lacklustre runs at the start of this season.

Royal Rebel used to under-perform and it seemed old habits were dying hard, but he bounced back under fellow Irish jockey, Johnny Murtagh, at Royal Ascot. Kinane saw only his backside from his vantage point in fourth on San Sebastian.

Royal Rebel has gone well wearing either blinkers or a visor in the past, but neither were donned on the occasion of his biggest career win on the suggestion of previous rider, Kevin Darley. Mark Johnston is a past master with Cup horses - as the careers of Doubles, Trigger and Eclipse, testify - and he is always to be feared at this meeting. His charge has a fine chance of doubling up, if in the same mood as last time.

But it may just be that Kinane has jumped the right way this time. He partners rejuvenated seven-year-old, Solo Mio, for his new trainer Amanda Perrett. A spell over hurdles with trainer Alan King was ultimately disappointing. Although he gave top staying hurdler, Baracouda, a real fright at Fontwell in February, his disinclination to actually pass his rivals was persistently in evidence.

Happily, he hasn't carried over that trait on his return to the Flatracing sphere. He has won two Group Three events, the Henry II and Sagaro Stakes, from as many starts this season with a scything late run. That means he carries no penalty here and can be relied on to confirm form with his main rivals, Persian Punch and San Sebastian, despite being worse off with the latter.

It's encouraging that this event was always the aim, rather than the Ascot Gold Cup. He arrives here fresh, handles fast ground and boasts a touch of class from his earlier Flat-racing days with Barry Hills and John Hammond in France. Kinane, fresh from triumphs of variable merit in the Irish High Court and on Galileo in the King George, can gain sweet revenge.

Richard Quinn tried to steal the Ascot Gold Cup on Persian Punch - a race in which the David Elsworth-trained warrior usually flopped - and very nearly succeeded. He could employ the same cheeky tactics here, but was easily headed in this race last year and faded to fifth. San Sebastian looked a bit one-paced when third last year, although he will grimly stay on in the dying furlongs.

Jardines Lookout was progressive last season and, after a shaky start, has maintained it in 2001. But he stayed on past tiring rivals at Ascot and may need that extreme trip. Rainbow High has been exposed as lacking at this class in such previous events.

Life Is Life is interesting. She also sometimes displays Solo Mio's old problem of failing to pass horses. But she showed with a facile Queen Alexandra Stakes victory last time out, fifth in last year's Ascot Gold Cup and second to Daliapour in the 2000 Ormonde Stakes that she's well up to challenging here.

Goodwood Cup selections: 1, Solo Mio; 2, Life Is Life; 3, Royal Rebel.

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Kinane to gain sweet revenge

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