The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Trip lands Lee in history books
Graham Lee saw his name etched into the annals of history after becoming the first ever Grand National-winning jockey to triumph in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot following his victory aboard Trip To Paris yesterday.
Having partnered Amberleigh House to glory in the Aintree showpiece back in 2004, the 39-year-old, who has also seen victory at the Cheltenham Festival, secured his maiden success at the highest level on the flat since switching codes with a battling success aboard the Ed Dunlop-trained four-year-old.
Purchased for just 20,000 Guineas at a sale in 2013, the son of Champs Elysees completed his rapid transformation through the handicap ranks to a genuine Group-class performer in the space of just six runs since this season.
Forever Now, in the hands of Frankie Dettori took the field along through the early stages of the two-and-a-half-mile showpiece, before previously-unbeaten favourite Forgotten Rules quickened to hit the front passing the two-furlong marker.
As the favourite made his move, Lee and Trip To Paris, who was supplemented at a cost of £35,000, were presented with clear daylight up the inside at the same time as the well-supported Kingfisher and Ryan Moore saw a gap close on them at a crucial stage.
Hitting the final furlong Forgotten Rules could offer no more as Trip To Paris surged past to take up a lead he was not to relinquish, coming home a length and a quarter to the good of the unluckyKingfisher.
Forgotten Rules was third, ahead of Simenon in fourth.
Lee said: “The second I got on him in the parade ring I knew he would run well because he was so relaxed and switched off. He went to post asleep and he kind of raced that way, he just had a dream run round.”
The victory for Newmarket handler Dunlop, who part-owns the horse, saw
him follow in the footsteps of his father, John, who saddled Ragstone to victory in the 1974 renewal.
Moore made it a record-equalling eight wins for the week and 35 in all at the royal meeting.
Successful earlier on the card on Aidan O’Brien’s Waterloo Bridge in the Norfolk Stakes and the David Wachman-trained Curvy in the Ribblesdale Stakes, Moore completed a treble on War Envoy in the Britannia Stakes.
Dettori took his Royal Ascot career tally to 51 with victory on Roger Charlton’s Time Test after the lightlyraced colt proved a different class to his opponents in the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Space Age (9-1) gave Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby his first winner at the meeting when making most of the running in the King George V Handicap under William Buick to hold off Scottish.