Big Orange has “great chance” of Goodwood Cup history

Michael Bell, left, and his brother, Rupert, admire Big Orange on Monday

Michael Bell believes Big Orange will have “a great chance” of a historic third successive win in the Qatar Goodwood Cup on August 1 provided the ground is on the fast side.

Bell was speaking on a soggy Monday morning in Newmarket as he hosted a Goodwood Racecourse media stable visit to his Fitzroy House yard.

“Big Orange is likely to run unless it is a bog,” Bell said. “I cannot see the ground being that bad. We are doing a weather watch but you cannot drive yourself crazy about forecasts because there are so many variables. Especially where Goodwood is on the top of the Downs, there can be a micro-climate. It can be chucking it down at the bottom of the hill but not at the top.

“Big Orange has won on good to soft going as a three-year-old. We used to think he wanted soft ground but the older he has got, because he has such a good action and long gait, he is very effective on fast ground and gets bogged down on soft ground. So he is a significantly better horse on faster going.

“He is a worthy favourite and provided the ground remains on the fast side, he should have a great chance. Big Orange is six now but for a stayer that means he is just coming into his prime. He is a young horse and has only run 24 times – he is not exactly over-raced.”

Big Orange has shown great tenacity to win the past two renewals of the Goodwood Cup and again dug deep when edging out Order Of St George in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last time – the pair finishing clear.
Since then, he has reverted to his usual routine.

Bell said: “We keep his training simple – he goes up Warren Hill once a week on his own to work – on Saturdays usually and over seven furlongs on the peat-moss gallop when it is open. He trains on his own which is unusual for a stayer.

“He is an easy horse to keep fit as he does not need a lot of work – he is very clean winded and has a great lung capacity. He may have a tiny blow on Saturday but I think he is ready and now I have got to not mess him up.

“You cannot get a horse fit in a week but you can soon mess them up in a week. He is fit and just needs to tick over.”

He added: “There has been a nice gap between the Gold Cup and the Qatar Goodwood Cup, while all his races this year have been spread out. He has not missed a day’s training and everything has been well with him.

“He is a fine horse. Most of the time training Flat horses is like a revolving door – they come and go but when you have a gelding you have a chance of hanging onto them and they needed to be owned by a rich man who does not get tempted by offers.

“It is unusual for them to stay around – under different circumstances he probably would have been sold to Australia, but obviously [owners] Bill and Tim [Gredley] are very attached to him. He will end up back at Stetchworth and they will never sell him, so we are lucky.

“He is very sound but even the soundest of horses can go wrong. Touch wood it has all been plain sailing so far and he does have very good timber and clean limbs, so long may that continue.”