Kyprios drifts in Ascot Gold Cup betting following injury scare

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: Wed 21 May 2025 13:45

Jon Vine 21 May 2025

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Kyprios wins Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown
Post-race concerns about his movement addressed with clean scans
Weak betting for Ascot Gold Cup; Illinois emerges as a strong contender

Ryan Moore riding Kyprios win The Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup during Qipco British Champions Day. (Getty)

Kyprios has been weak in the betting for the 2025 Ascot Gold Cup, despite a routine victory in the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown last Friday.

Aidan O'Brien's two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner made it nine wins on the bounce last week, comfortably beating Dallas Star and Satin to retain his Saval Beg crown. However, when speaking to Racing TV following the race, O'Brien seemed worried about the way his seven-year-old was moving on his way back to the stables.

“He came back in perfect and when he went to walk off (out of the winner’s enclosure) he was moving a little bit gingerly in front." O'Brien said.

"He was feeling something walking away. We’ll check him out and obviously he’s scanned and X-rayed before he runs because of his history. Hopefully it’s just a sprung shoe or something like that. We'll investigate and see what it is. It could be something and it could be nothing."

"With his history, every race is a big race and take it day to day."

Kyprios suffered a life-threatening injury in 2023, which kept him off the track for the majority of that season. O'Brien's colt returned to his best form last season, taking his Group One tally to eight at the end of an unbeaten campaign.

Scans and X-Rays were taken over the weekend. On Monday, O'Brien announced via the Coolmore X account that nothing serious had been uncovered.

"Kyprios is very good this morning and is sound." O'Brien's statement read.

"We think he knocked his pastern after turning sharply in the winners enclosure. X-rays and scans were all clean and we are very happy with him."

Despite this clean bill of health, Kyprios has been weak in the Royal Ascot betting since his victory at Leopardstown. The two-time defending Gold Cup champion is now best-priced at 6/4 with bookmakers Ladbrokes, who cut his stablemate Illinois into 9/4 from 8/1.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said, "Illinois is fast emerging as a contender for this year's Ascot Gold Cup. We wouldn't be surprised to see him leapfrog Kyrpios in the betting over the next few weeks."

Illinois is yet to race over two miles, but did land the Qatar Prix Chaudenay over 15 furlongs following a runner-up finish in the St Leger. Jan Brueghel claimed victory in that Classic at Doncaster and is expected to step up to Cup distances following a runner-up finish on his reappearance in the ten-furlong Alleged Stakes.

Ladbrokes Latest Betting - 2025 Ascot Gold Cup Winner

6/4 Kyprios, 9/4 Illinois, 6/1 Jan Brueghel, 6/1 Sweet William, 10/1 Courage Mon Ami, 10/1 Trawlerman, 12/1 Sevenna's Knight, 16/1 Candelari, 16/1 Dubai Future, 16/1 Tower Of London, 20/1 Absurde, 25/1 bar