WISDOM

ORDER OF ST GEORGE is many people’s idea of a banker in today’s Ascot Gold Cup. I don’t know how much money I have in my bank because I haven’t shaken it recently but what’s left will be stuck on ORDER OF ST GEORGE.

If there’s a better bet to be struck at the Berkshire meeting than Aidan O’Brien’s powerhouse of a horse, then I haven’t spotted it.

Order Of St George is the proven performer over this two-mile, fourfurlong trip having won here in 2016 before being narrowly touched off by Big Orange last year.

There’s no Big Orange to worry about this time and I’m more than a little surprised to see John Gosden’s Stradivarius vying for favouritism. That’s John Gosden’s four-year old, not the stringed instrument from the violin family.

In a match bet I’d take Order Of St George over Stradivarius any day of the week, given the latter has yet to prove his stamina over this longer trip. That said, he did look the business when winning the Yorkshire Cup — albeit over the considerably shorter distance of one-mile, five furlongs. Order Of St George hasn’t put a hoof wrong all season while in 2016 he won the Irish St Leger with ease and stayed on gamely to grab a success in the Long Distance Cup. He’s not just a stayer either as third and fourth placings in the Arc prove. He’s won five of his last six races, is bang in form and I can’t see him getting beat. Historically, favourites have a ridiculously impressive record in this race. Eight of the last 11 jollies have won the Gold Cup. Jessie Harrington’s Torcedor looks well held by Order Of St George on form and is another one with stamina doubts. The one to be wary of is Alain De Royer-Dupre’s Vazirabad, a horse who has has won 15 of his 22 starts and finished runner-up on a further five occasions. He has three Group 1 successes to his name but I don’t fancy his chances of making it four.