ORANGE ZEST
Bell bigs up his winner in Gold Cup thriller
SituatiOn vacant for a horse with a big heart in a big race. Step forward Big Orange.
Just when this year’s royal meeting seemed to be becoming a tad flat and lacking a memorable moment, one of the most popular horses in training lifted the atmosphere with a trademark Herculean effort under jockey James Doyle.
Big Orange’s short-head defeat of defending champion Order of St george, with 33-1 shot Harbour law six lengths back in third, was exactly what royal ascot 2017 needed.
For trainer Michael Bell, it was the biggest moment of his career since Motivator landed the 2005 Derby.
For thousands of racing fans, it was success for a 5-1 shot who has carved a place in their affections.
Flat horses too often are flash-inthe-pan: brilliant one minute, at stud the next. But the staying division has some distance in it in more ways than one.
Big Orange, in a 24-race career that started in October 2013 and has now earned owner Bill gredley just over £1.1million, has become as popular as previous winners of this historic race such as yeats and Double trigger.
the only man who might have felt a bit down in the dumps about yesterday’s result was Frankie Dettori.
until a broken bone in his left shoulder ruled the italian out of the meeting on tuesday morning, Big Orange had been his mount.
Dettori, annually a crowdpleasing star attraction at this meeting, has now missed four winners.
in addition to Big Orange, Frankie would have ridden yesterday’s John gosden-trained ribblesdale Stakes winner Coronet as well as Wesley Ward-trained pair lady aurelia and Con te Partiro.
a repeat prescription of painkillers may be required.
For Bell, no drugs were involved in him achieving royal ascot winner’s-enclosure euphoria. after Big Orange had led for all but four furlongs of the two-and-a-half-mile contest and held on by inches, the newmarket trainer said: ‘i was praying for the winning post.
‘But you know Big Orange is going to lay his life on the line for you. He has an amazing will to win. He gives his all and has a heart as big as himself. He wants fast ground and in the height of the summer he is a monster.
‘this is the feature race of the meeting and it was an epic race beating a very good horse. i can’t tell you how much pride i have in him. He is god’s gift for a trainer.’
How Bell must love the son of stallion Duke of Marmalade, who has represented him in two Melbourne Cups.
in the post-Motivator world, he has not dined at the top table as often as he would have liked but Big Orange has kept his flag flying in recent seasons.
Sariska won Bell the 2009 Oaks and irish Oaks but Big Orange has landed all six of the group races the trainer has secured since July 2015, although he was a late withdrawal from this race last year when the ground was against him.
Bell said he was not fazed when eventual 12th Quest For More briefly led Big Orange.
Once Doyle sent Big Orange to the lead again after six furlongs, it was a case of gradually turning the screw.
ryan Moore played the waiting game on aidan O’Brien’s 5- 6 favourite Order of St george, sitting third-last early on. the run he conjured off the home turn would have cracked most opponents, but not Big Orange.
Back in third, out-running his 33-1 odds, was Jim Crowley-ridden 2016 St leger winner Harbour law, representing the small epsom stable of laura Mongan.
the delighted trainer said: ‘it was so thrilling. i threw my hat off.’
She wasn’t the only one to feel like that.