Leading Light wins Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on day three

Omnisports Pulse

June 19, 2014 4:14 AM

Favourite Leading Light delighted punters by beating last year's winner Estimate by a neck in an enthralling Gold Cup race at Royal Ascot.

It what will be remembered as one of the most thrilling Gold Cup contests in history, the Aidan O'Brien-trained horse narrowly triumphed on day three of the meet.

Estimate, ridden by Ryan Moore and owned by Queen Elizabeth II, was the first horse to be owned by a reigning monarch to win the race 12 months ago, and the mare - who has ran just once since then due to a muscle injury - was agonisingly close to repeating the feat on Ladies' Day.

Coming down the straight there was a four-way battle for the line, with 40-1 shot Missunited grabbing a deserved third-placed finish after bravely leading from the front for almost the entirety of Thursday's race.

Brown Panther - owned by former England football international Michael Owen - was also in contention in a dramatic ending, and eventually finished fourth.

However, it was 11-10 shot Leading Light - winner of the St Leger last year - who had enough in reserve to claim victory, and in the process hand O'Brien a record sixth win in the race, while son Joseph earned his maiden Gold Cup success.

Earlier, O'Brien had his first winner of the meeting, as 10-1 shot Bracelet triumphed in the Ribblesdale Stakes, while favourite Vazira made a slow start and never really got going.

In the opening race of the day, Frankie Dettori rode Baitha Alga to victory in the Norfolk Stakes, after odds-on favourite The Great War flopped.

Cannock Chase was the victor of the Tercentenary Stakes. The Michael Stoute-trained horse faced a stewards' inquiry after moving right to halt the progress of Barley Mow, but the placings remained unchanged.

Rounding off Thursday's action, Born in Bombay was the victor in the Britannia Stakes, while joint-favourite Elite Army triumphed in the King George V Stakes.

Omnisports Pulse