Royal Ascot 2017 – Big Orange wins the Gold Cup for trainer Michael Bell and jockey James Doyle
Big Orange, one of the most popular horses in training, did it the hard way as he practically made all to hold off the late challenge of hot favourite Order Of St George
BIG ORANGE brought the house down at Ascot with a battling win in the Gold Cup.
He took up the running as they passed the winning post for the first time and he wasn't to be passed from that point.
Order Of St George put in what looked like a winning run, but Big Orange battled back to hold him off by the narrowest of margins.
Last year's St Leger hero Harbour Law ran a brilliant race in third.
Winning jockey James Doyle said: "Blimey, he's as tough as they get!
"Full credit to everyone. It was great to get the call-up. Unfortunately Frankie couldn't have got the injury at a worse time.
"Frankie's a real star. He called me a couple of nights ago and I was probably on the phone for about 20 minutes getting instructions and him telling me all about the horse. He was spot on.
"You can't do it without the help of everyone. Frankie said to me 'whatever you do, don't interfere with him'. He knows what speed he wants to go at and you just sit as a passenger.
"I had Frankie's voice in my head as I just eased him out and let him go to the front and the rest was history.
"He got a little bit lonely. I wish the second horse had joined me a bit earlier and I think he'd have won by further then."
Bell said: "I can't give the horse enough credit. He just puts it on the line and it's just fantastic.
"It was an epic race. Order Of St George is a fantastic horse ridden by a brilliant jockey.
"I can't describe the feeling of pride I have in my horse.
";I was just praying for the line and begging for the line to come.
"The horse is a superstar - he's a warrior.
"That's his eighth Pattern win and we're extremely lucky to train him."
Winning owner Bill Gredley said of the six-year-old: "I get quite a bit of fan mail for him, and it's great to have a horse the public love.
"I don't know what he will go on to do in the future, but it can't get much better than winning the Gold Cup at Ascot."