Tattersalls Gold Cup (Group 1)

AFTER two unsuccessful attempts at lowering the colours of Auguste Rodin last season, a more mature and much improved White Birch gained sweet revenge on the dual Derby winner to provide the John and George Murphy team with a first Group 1 triumph on the flat.

With the exception of heavy rain that saw the ground changed from good to good to yielding just before the 2024 Tattersalls Gold Cup, there were few excuses for 11/10 favourite Auguste Rodin in finishing a three-length second, though he did run a sound race in defeat.

This result was all about the impressive rise through the ranks for the Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez-owned winner, however.

If anyone hadn’t been paying full attention to White Birch’s progression in 2024 with comprehensive wins in the Alleged and Mooresbridge Stakes here to start his season, they were made to sit up and take proper note with this silky display.

The Ulysses four-year-old always caught the eye travelling strongly from off the pace and shrugged Auguste Rodin aside readily under a confident Colin Keane ride.

Connections remained tight-lipped on where the winner might go next, though Sky Bet responded by cutting him to 5/1 (from 25/1) for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for one as good as him, and I’m delighted it happened today,” said George Murphy.

’Top-class’

“I’m stuck for words, to be honest. Roger O’Callaghan recommended him. He had him just broken, he was just cantering and he wasn’t really a breeze-up type, and we bought into him. We’re very lucky that we did get him. He’s top-class.”

John Murphy added: “Somebody told me he’s the first Group 1 horse trained in Cork. We’re all excited now, and we’re going to enjoy it.”

Keane, winning his second Tattersalls Gold Cup in four years, was highly impressed by the performance too.

“He was a very nice horse last year and has matured massively from three to four - he’s just a very good horse,” said the champion jockey.

“He cantered into it and has a bit of pace, though he’d have no problem going a bit further. He ticks a lot of boxes. John and George have done a marvellous job with him because he wasn’t straightforward last year. They’ve got the knack to him now and deserve this.”

Aidan O’Brien wasn’t disappointed by Auguste Rodin’s display, having shown much more here than when disappointing in the Sheema Classic at Meydan on his previous start.

Rodin reaction

If White Birch had not been in the race, the likelihood is we would have been hailing a big performance from the Ballydoyle colt, pulling eight lengths clear of his nearest rival, Crypto Force.

“He ran a very good race,” said O’Brien.

“We knew the ground wouldn’t be ideal but he’s on the way back. We had a long way to come from Dubai. I think we’ve come, but I think we’ll come more.

“He had a bit of a speed wobble coming down off the hill, and that probably came at a bad time of the race for him because he lost a bit of momentum doing it, but we’ll be fine. At the moment, the plan is still the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.”