Fame on track for more Gold glory
Friday 15 June 2012
Last year's winner Fame And Glory heads 13 horses left in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday.
The six-year-old, trained by Aidan O'Brien, warmed up for the defence of his crown by giving 10lb and a neck beating to Unaccompanied in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan last month.
O'Brien has another string to his bow in Memphis Tennessee, winner of the Ormonde Stakes at Chester on his reappearance. The other Irish-trained hopeful is the John Oxx-trained Saddler's Rock.
Last year's Doncaster Cup winner was runner-up to Midnight Soprano on his first run of the season in the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown recently.
"He came out of his race fine the other day, so we just have to hope the next week goes well, but it's so far so good," said Oxx.
Opinion Poll chased home Fame And Glory last summer and has showed his wellbeing so far this term with wins in the Dubai Gold Cup and the Henry II Stakes. The six-year-old, trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, is one of two under the Godolphin banner, along with Colour Vision from Saeed bin Suroor's stable.
The grey showed he could be a force to be reckoned with when beating Red Cadeaux in the Sagaro Stakes at Kempton.
Laceteno, trained in Germany by Waldemar Hickst, adds further spice to the two-and-a-half-mile Group One. Completing the baker's dozen are Askar Tau, Bridge Of Gold, Caucus, Nehaam, Overturn, Gulf Of Naples and Ibicenco.
Fame And Glory is just 5-4 with Paddy Power for the 2m4f contest, while William Hill go 25-1 that the son of Montjeu can match the feat of former stablemate Yeats and win a further three more Gold Cups.
"As the reigning Gold Cup champion, as well as the inaugural British Champions Long Distance Cup winner, Fame And Glory deserves to be a hot-favourite for next Thursday's race," David Stevens of Coral said. "Punters are backing him to the exclusion of every other rival at this stage, to the point where he could well start at odds-on."
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