By Tom Frary
Aidan O'Brien's Gold Cup picture will be a lot clearer by Friday night, with the 2022 hero of that Royal meeting's feature Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G3 Red Sea Turf H. and G2 Dubai Gold Cup winner Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in action across the Irish Sea. The latter, who is beginning to fulfil his TDN Rising Star tag over staying trips, takes aim at the York Dante festival's G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup before Ryan Moore flies to Leopardstown to steer Kyprios to an almost inevitable success in the G3 Saval Beg Levmoss S.
Tower Of London faces stiff opposition in the Yorkshire Cup, with the prolific group winner Hamish (GB) (Motivator {GB}) looking to provide Yorkshire-born William Haggas with an emotional victory and Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), compatriot Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), last year's winner Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) all similarly unexposed in the staying category.
Ryan Moore said of Tower Of London, “I always thought a lot of him at three, but he is really blossoming now. He shaped very much like a group one-winning stayer in waiting when winning at Meydan last time, so I'd hope and expect he will be going close here even under his three-pound penalty.”
Kyprios, who gave all the right signals when winning on his seasonal bow in Navan's Listed Vintage Crop S. last month, is following a tried-and-trusted route back to the Gold Cup and Aidan O'Brien said, “I've been very happy with him so far this year. He did really well to come back at all last year after his injury and to get two runs into him was a credit to the team.”
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