ASCOT 16:20

All 14 ran. Race Distance Adjustment: +11 yds

Time: 4m 22.4s Closing Sectional: (3f): 38.55s (102.1%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 123%, Betfair SP 100.7%

The last of the 20 furlongs will go down in Royal Ascot folklore for the thrill of the chase, with the defender attacking the pretender for the Gold Cup, Big Orange calling on all the qualities that got him here to fight off the higher-powered but weaker-minded Order of St George, their contrast in tactics also adding to the drama, and they were out on their own in the end, 6l clear of the St Leger winner, the form at the top end only on par for Gold Cup-winning standard rather than anything above, but the fact there was 2 of them showing it made it the race it was; Quest For More initially shaped up to take on Big Orange for the lead, but they soon raced in tandem rather than taking each other on up front and the pace was on the modest side for the most part, the field fairly well bunched on the home turn, though Order of St George had it all to do from his position in eleventh into the straight, his class getting him so close in the deciding duel, but racing is about more than ability alone, as this race and this winner encapsulates.

BIG ORANGE was late coming to the Gold Cup, as a 6-y-o, yet he's had this date for a long time, into unchartered territory for the trip but not bending to it, as the performance had his copyright all over it, obviously helping that he dictated by and large but front-running has only ever been the process with him, all his power coming from the stamina that enables him to gallop harder for longer than most horses, exemplified up the straight when making his break, unflinching to the end, even as Order of St George directly engaged him in the last ½f, the long margin to the rest saying more than the very narrow one by which he held off the favourite; this is his defining day, for the prize and performance but also his character, though ability-wise he's no better than the majority of Gold Cup winners.

ORDER OF ST GEORGE (IRE) has lost a few battles and some of his reputation since looking faultless before and during his win in this last year, the question of robustness more related to his mind than body, not really answered one way or another here, showing both sides to him; first and foremost, his class relative to most stayers - now or almost ever - was all too apparent, not only for going so close to a repeat but also in how he did it, left with a lot of ground - at least 6l - to make up in the straight on the pole-positioned winner, wide in the first movement but hanging right for full pressure, all the way over to the rail-running Big Orange, his sweep enclosing a brief stutter, never mind the resolve of his rival; two Group 1 wins would be an accolade for most horses, but it's starting to feel a little like talent short-changed for him, though he has the power to rectify that, just needing the will to do so.

HARBOUR LAW overshadowed in the end by the dynamic duel ahead of him but made a big statement of his own, clearly not a one-season wonder by any means, last in the Sagaro but this time reproducing all of the form that won him the St Leger, benefiting from where he raced, in the slipstream of Big Orange, but no fluke about it, comfortable in this company, in a definite second for over half of the home straight, beaten for class by the first 2, for all dropping back slightly in trip will do him no harm.

SHE IS NO LADY ran way above herself, the marathon trip clearly doing a lot for her, though one of the last off the bridle, too, moving into it on the home turn and sticking to the task really well, fourth in a Gold Cup a milestone and some training feat for one who won a handicap at Chelmsford (off 90) around this time last year.

TORCEDOR (IRE) underlined this year's improvement, earning his promotion but exposed in the biggest league, for one facing a very different Order of St George from the one he beat at Navan; he's from the family of Yeats and stayed the trip, but in his own time, a flourish 3f out getting him only so far forward from mid-field.

SHEIKHZAYEDROAD has done much in a consistent year (March to March) to reduce his quirky nature to a mere footnote, but it seemed to resurface here, back from a break since Meydan (finished one place ahead of Big Orange in Dubai Gold Cup), the false gallop against him but not looking that motivated either when push came to shove, never looking like matching his third in this in 2016.

SWEET SELECTION found this a bridge too far, probably for class rather than stamina, though she looked uncomfortable before the pace increased and more so afterwards, wandering around; this doesn't take away from the significant series of breakthroughs she's made in the last year, the latest in the Sagaro, albeit a substandard edition, not quite the Gold Cup ticket it usually is.

PRINCE OF ARRAN hadn't gone beyond 1½m until 2 races ago, raising his game for second in the Sagaro and confirming his calibre here, until the point his stamina ran out, doing really well prior to that, closing in around the home turn and disputing third 2f out.

NEARLY CAUGHT (IRE) much better than the result, ninth position not doing him justice at all, not pretty and needing riding along at various times to keep his handy position but still bang there (in third) over 1f out, before it all caught up with him, eased in the end; it's unlike him to make hard work of it, though he has tended to keep to good or softer ground, notwithstanding his third in the Sagaro on firm.

ENDLESS TIME (IRE) unsure to stay quite this far anyway, but it may be no coincidence that her 2 worst runs since 2015 have come the twice she's encountered firmish ground, her lugging right off the bridle a sign that she wasn't relishing something, no impression from the back.

HARRISON out of his depth, ridden to pick up any pieces but none came his way, not good enough to get involved when asked.

QUEST FOR MORE (IRE) clearly has some problem for now, the tactics different (raced up with Big Orange) but the outcome the same as the Henry II, dropping away in the straight.

TRIP TO PARIS (IRE) cut a sorry figure in a race he won in 2015, his powers having long since dwindled, always behind.

SIMPLE VERSE (IRE) clearly wasn't right, eased in the end, but beaten before stamina really came into it, maybe feeling the effects of a full-on reappearance at York which showed all her powers are intact; she's had some of her best days at Ascot, but the Royal meeting has been an unhappy hunting ground.