Master Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien won his seventh Ascot Gold Cup Thursday with Order of St George, his third win of this year's Royal Ascot meeting. The 46-year-old Irishman, who had brought up his half century of Royal Ascot winners in the preceding race, would have been a bit nervous seeing his favorite entering the finishing straight lengths behind long-time leader Mille et Mille. However, once Order of St George's jockey Ryan Moore got a clear run he ate up the ground and eased to a three-length victory ahead of Mizzou and Sheikhzayedroad with the gallant Mille Et Mille in fourth. O'Brien said Order of St George — whose orange and blue colors were inadvertently sported by Queen Elizabeth II who presented the trophy to winning owner Michael Tabor — could emulate his four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats. "He has a lot of class and he loves his racing so there is every chance he will be back," said O'Brien. "It was a tough race, a little bit messy and rough but Ryan did well to switch him off as he hadn't run this distance before." Moore, who rode a modern day record nine winners at the meeting last year, said it had been an extremely tough race to ride in with the 17 runners apart from runaway leader Mille et Mille bumping each other incessantly. "It was a nightmare all the way," said Moore. "However, he's a class horse and class horses win races." Earlier Evensong had brought up O'Brien's half century in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes. O'Brien, whose first success at the meeting came 19 years ago, handled the landmark success with his usual humility. "It is unbelievable but it is a great team effort," O'Brien said. Kate Wachman, representing the owner, her mother Sue Magnier, was more effusive. "It is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve. He is a fabulous trainer," said Wachman, whose husband David trained the winner of the race last year. Moore was asked how special his employer was in getting to a half century. "He'll be even more special when he gets to 100," joked the normally poker-faced English jockey. The Godolphin Operation bandwagon continued apace as they had a 1-2 in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes with Hawkbill prevailing under William Buick ahead of Prizemoney for their fourth win in two days. The Dubai-owned powerhouse brought a record 50 horses to the five-day meeting and have their sights on breaking their record haul of six winners. Buick riding his 16th winner at the Royal meeting displayed a rare moment of emotion passing the post punching the air in delight. "This is huge! There is such a big team behind it," said Norway-born Buick. "It is nice to be able to reward them," added the 27-year-old. Luke Morris got the day's action off to a memorable start as he guided home Prince Lir to record his first win at Royal Ascot in the Group Two Norfolk Stakes. "You sacrifice so much for this job," said Morris. "This is what makes it worth getting up so early every morning." Morris had little time to celebrate as he had to make his way to the rather less glamorous confines of Chelmsford racecourse for further rides but winning trainer Robert Cowell was able to soak up his prestigious win. "I did say I'd like to win a two-year-old race somewhere this year and to do it at Royal Ascot is beyond one's wildest dreams," said Cowell, who previously had won two editions of the Kings Stand stakes at the meeting.
