Papineau bids for Gold Cup repeat

LAST year’s winner Papineau heads a field of 18 – the biggest in the race’s history – for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot at York tomorrow.

Godolphin’s five-year-old, who beat 12 rivals in the race last year, was fifth on his seasonal debut in the Yorkshire Cup last month but missed the Coronation Cup at Epsom recently because of a bruised foot.

Godolphin will also be represented by Razkalla and Fight Your Corner but have withdrawn Duke Of Venice.