Sweet Ascot victory for Big Orange

Two- time Melbourne Cup participant Big Orange won the group one £ 400,000 ($ 700,000) Ascot Gold Cup in England overnight.

The Michael Bell- trained stayer made all the running under James Doyle and had enough in reserve to see off the challenge of the favourite Order Of St George.

Doyle was a late replacement aboard Big Orange after Frankie Dettori was ruled out of the meeting on Tuesday morning with a fractured shoulder bone.

Big Orange had been in front for well over a circuit as Order Of St George, the odds- on favourite, charged down the middle of the track and drew alongside with less than a furlong to run. It seemed for a moment that Ryan Moore would surely edge last year’s winner into the lead with a stride or two to spare.

Big Orange, though, was not for passing. He sensed the favourite’s challenge and found just enough to hold him at bay in one of the great, conclusions to a Gold Cup.

A son of Duke Of Marmalade, Big Orange finished fifth at Flemington in 2015 and 10th last year.

Bell, who had not saddled a group one winner since August 2011, will now aim Big Orange towards a third successive success in the Goodwood Cup in early August which has been promoted to group one status for the first time this season.

The Te Akau representative Torcedor, who had won the group three Vintage Crop Stakes at his previous appearance, finished a creditable fifth.

“It was good run by a relatively inexperienced horse racing against the best staying horses in the world and he’s just going to continue to get better,” David Ellis said.