Papineau shows his class to stay distance

Royal Ascot report:The Ascot Gold Cup might be a dated institution to racing's flint-eyed businessmen but try knocking it to the Godolphin team after Papineau's thrilling success yesterday.

Sheikh Mohammed's delight at the length and a half success from Westerner was almost as palpable as Frankie Dettori's, and the Italian looked as if he had just landed that elusive Derby victory.

"He's a fantastic horse with so much class," Dettori enthused having threaded his way through the field to nail his French rival inside the final furlong. Last year's winner, and the 5 to 4 favourite Mr Dinos, faded to sixth, one place behind Aidan O'Brien's Brian Boru.

O'Brien was on more familiar territory later when Moscow Ballet won the Listed Hampton Court Stakes over half the Gold Cup distance.

But to the Coolmore team, the sight of Brian Boru even running in the race would hardly have had them getting their commercial calculators out. Godolphin, however, have always embraced the two-and-a-half-mile marathon with enthusiasm.

The organisation, and Dettori, had won the Gold Cup three times before and the concern yet again was whether one of their middle distance-bred blue-bloods would manage to stay the trip. Dettori though had little doubt. "If you've got class you can always get away with the trip," he said and Papineau's talent had him running in last year's French Derby where he got injured. We could have gone the mile and a half route but we took a chance and came here," said the Sheikh whose other runner Highest picked up a leg injury after passing the post.

Westerner had two and a half lengths in hand of the third Darasim but owner Alec Wildenstein rued the way the race turned out and said: "The two horses in front dropped out and we were in front too soon."

Moscow Ballet was in front from the very start in the Hampton Court to provide Aidan O'Brien with a first winner of the festival. "He didn't like the ground at York and I got messed about when he ran in France last time. But that was a Group One so I quietly fancied him today," reported Jamie Spencer.

Godolphin's Gold Cup mood was undoubtedly helped by the earlier success of Punctilious in the Ribblesdale which kicked off a close on 33 to 1 double and brought Dettori's total for the week to four. Punctilious was third in the Epsom Oaks less than two weeks ago but Godolphin produced an Oaks-placed runner, Bahr in 1998, to win the Ascot Group Two and they managed to do it again.

Punctilious had a length and a half in hand of Sahool who was in front of the gamble Quiff who was backed down from a morning 7 to 1 to half those odds. "The second gave me a fight but even though my one doesn't like the whip she is tough," said Dettori.

The winner will be given a break but Quiff is a likely starter in the Irish Oaks next month while Sahool will be aimed at the Lancashire Oaks before a tilt at the Park Hill Stakes.

Blue Dakota justified favouritism in the Norfolk Stakes but only by a neck from Mystical Land in a close finish but the latter's jockey, Kieren Fallon, didn't leave the track without a winner and Mandobi emerged best in the Britannia Handicap. Dermot Weld's well-backed hope, King Jock, shaped well to the furlong pole but faded.