Gold Cup hero Big Orange set for rematch with Order Of St George in Goodwood Cup
A compelling set of entries, headed by Gold Cup winner Big Orange, have been released for the Goodwood Cup, a contest that has Group One status for the first time this year.
GOLD CUP hero Big Orange could renew rivalry with Royal Ascot runner-up Order Of St George as the star stayer seeks an unprecedented hat-trick in the Qatar Goodwood Cup on August 1.
Only Double Trigger has won the big race three times, but they were split between 1995, 1997 and 1998.
The Michael Bell-trained Big Orange has won the two-mile showpiece for the last two years and is poised for a rematch with Order Of St George, who went down by just a short head in the Gold Cup.
Order Of St George is among five possibles from Aidan O'Brien's stable along with US Army Ranger, Belgravia, Finn McCool and Wisconsin.
Willie Mullins' Irish St Leger winner Wicklow Brave is the sixth Irish entry, while Pallasator and Sheikhzayedroad, second and third respectively 12 months ago, are also on the 29-strong list.
French raider Vazirabad missed the Gold Cup through injury but could be back in time for Goodwood.
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Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said: "He came back from the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier with a problem - he got a cut behind from another horse.
"We are going very slowly because it is not completely healed. The plan is to go to Goodwood but it depends on when we can get him back to normal training.
";The Gold Cup would have been a typical race for Vazirabad because when they have a lot of pace, he has a very strong turn of foot.
"Big Orange won well but Vazirabad has beaten him twice in the Dubai Gold Cup."
Other interesting entries include Stradivarius and Oriental Fox, winners of the Queen's Vase and Queen Alexandra Stakes respectively at Royal Ascot last week.
One of the big disappointments in the Gold Cup at Ascot was Ralph Beckett's 2015 St Leger heroine Simple Verse.
Beckett put her lacklustre display down to the fast ground and she is more than likely to head to Goodwood.
"She's OK, it's just that the ground was too quick at Ascot for her," said Beckett.
"She's fine and we'll probably look to Goodwood with her now."
The Goodwood Cup will be run as a Group One race for the first time and has been moved from the Thursday to Tuesday's opening card.