TYSON FURY would probably call him a ‘big dosser’ – but ‘lazy’ stayer Kyprios is set to defend his star stayer title in a blockbuster clash at Ascot.
Aidan O’Brien’s dominant stayer could take on St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov and old foes Trueshan and Stradivarius.
In Fury parlance, star stayer Kyprios is equivalent to a ‘big dosser’ but Aidan O’Brien’s hero just keeps on winning
Kyprios has swept all before him in the staying division
And finally we could see him really pull out all the stops – after being branded ‘lazy’ by his own trainer.
Kyprios made it five in a row with a convincing win in the 1m6f Irish St Leger last Sunday.
O’Brien threw a spanner in the works by saying the four-year-old colt could now head for the Arc on Sunday, October 2.
But a sensational showdown with three other huge rivals could prove more tempting on Champions Day at Ascot on October 15.
Bookies have Kyprios the favourite to land the knockout blow in that race – fitting after ITV pundit Kevin Blake said the horse is what heavyweight champ Fury would call a ‘dosser’.
Blake told the Weighed-In Betfair racing podcast: “Tyson Fury would call him a big dosser, that’s all he does, he’s very easy, straightforward.
“Ground and trip-wise he’s versatile and his Irish St Leger win was straightforward.
“Runner-up Hamish ran a smashing race but Kyprios is better, he’s better than any stayer.
“Trueshan is a few pounds higher owing to his Northumberland Plate victory but Kyprios is the best stayer and will be for some time.”
The Long Distance Cup is run over 2m at Ascot – the site of Kyprios’ brilliant Gold Cup win last June – and worth £283,550 to the winner.
Coral made him 11-8 fav with Trueshan, who flopped at Doncaster last weekend, the 7-2 second fav.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “While Kyprios is a worthy Long Distance Cup favourite following a perfect five from five campaign so far, Eldar Eldarov would be a leading market rival should the Leger winner get the green light for Ascot.”
The St Leger hero could head to Ascot, trainer Roger Varian has revealed.
He said: “He’ll have to bounce back after the Leger and show he can run again, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
“They’re the two races and they are eight days apart, so he’ll be trained for that third week in October.
“He had a bit of a break after the Grand Prix de Paris to the St Leger.
“He’s raced four times this year and only once at two, so he’s relatively lightly raced and there’s reason to think he’ll run again.”
Long Distance Cup odds
11-8 Kyprios
7-2 Trueshan
6 Eldar Eldarov, Stradivarius
7 Quickthorn
8 Coltrane, Mojo Star
10 Beamish
12 Trawlerman
14 Changingoftheguard, Tashkan
16 Bar
