Bitter cup for Murtagh

RACING/Royal Ascot: Relunctant hero Royal Rebel rose to the big occasion once again at Royal Ascot yesterday as he powered home in the showpiece Gold Cup.

The 16-1 chance, who has ability and temperament in equal measures, was becoming the first horse to win the race in consecutive years since Drum Taps in 1992 and 1993.

But the victory was a bitter-sweet affair for winning rider Johnny Murtagh, who will miss the Budweiser Irish Derby on Sunday week for the second year running after picking up a four-day suspension (June 29th to July 2nd) for using his whip with excessive frequency.

The Irishman missed last year's Curragh Classic after receiving a one-day ban for a similar offence on the same horse 12 months earlier. Frankie Dettori, the rider of third-placed Wareed, received an identical punishment for the same offence and will miss the same meeting.

Royal Rebel went into the lead as they fanned into the home straight. Murtagh was hard at work at that stage and when well-backed favourite Vinnie Roe and Godolphin's challenger Wareed went past a furlong out it looked as if the writing was on the wall.

But Murtagh dug deep and, in the dying strides of the race, Royal Rebel got back up to beat Vinnie Roe by a neck. Wareed was a length back in third, the trio finishing clear of the remainder.

Vinnie Roe's trainer, Dermot Weld, was delighted with the performance of his charge. "He ran a cracking race and he's only a four-year-old," Weld said. "Pat (Smullen) said it was probably a furlong too far but I think it was probably four furlongs too far!"

Weld and Smullen had better luck when taking the Ribblesdale Stakes through Irresistible Jewel. Their 12-1 shot, runaway winner of a maiden at Naas early this month, swooped very late in the Group Two contest to lead close home for a three-quarters-of-a-length defeat of Shadow Dancing.

"I was quietly confident she would run very well today," admitted Weld. "She is a big, progressive filly and there is more improvement to come."