Yeats makes history in Gold Cup

Yeats made Royal Ascot history on Thursday by becoming the first racehorse to take 4 consecutive Ascot Gold Cup titles.

The 8-year-old proved himself to be the greatest stayer in the history of British flat racing by finishing the 2 mile 4 furlong group 1 feature race 3½ lengths ahead of Patkai. Geordieland finished the race 15 lengths behind Yeats to take third place.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien expressed his astonishment at Yeats’s feat following the race.

"Unbelievable, that's all I can say,” O’Brien said after the race. “ I was so sick this morning as I really believed this couldn't happen.”

“History is very hard to change, we knew we had a wonderful horse but usually fairy tales don't come true. You dream and dream and dream, we were in this position and we never would be again - great things can happen...I want to say a big thanks to everyone involved."

Winning jockey, Johnny Murtagh, was effusive in his praise following the race, marking Yeats as one of the greatest racehorses of all time.

“He's the best," Murtagh concluded. "The ground was too soft at Navan. He loves fast ground, he loves Royal Ascot. He comes alive. This is one of the greatest days of my riding career."