Dinos floors Gold Cup rivals in spectacular style
Kieren Fallon made his bid for glory when sending Paul Cole's stayer past long-time leader Persian Punch about half a mile from home.
He soon had all his rivals on the stretch and the 3-1 second favourite came home six lengths clear of the veteran Persian Punch (20-1), with Pole Star (12-1) three-quarters of a length further away in third.
Persian Punch, running in the race for the seventh consecutive year, was sent to the front by Martin Dwyer after a few strides.
He was followed by Black Sam Bellamy, with Mr Dinos handily-placed and the 5-2 favourite Mamool held up towards the rear by Frankie Dettori.
But once Fallon gave Mr Dinos the office the race was as good as over. It was a first Gold Cup success for the champion jockey and also for the trainer, who was celebrating his 20th success at the Royal meeting.
Fallon said: "I just felt we weren't going very quick. Martin just switched off and he wasn't taking me far enough, so I decided to go and use his stamina.
"I rode a horse who could take me there. He travelled well, he travelled all the way, even though he was a bit lazy. When I switched him on he found another gear and that's the sign of a good horse."
Cole said: "It was really an emotional win for me. You get worried about the ground and you think you might write your horse off. The owner has come over from Cyprus and you get committed to these things there's only one Gold Cup.
"I was really worried about it (the ground) and he could easily have not gone on it and then you would have felt dreadful. But it's a wonderful story. I've never had a runner in the Gold Cup and it's a race I've always wanted to win. I can't believe it's happened."
Cole's Whatcombe base has been hit by the cough in recent weeks and the trainer went to great lengths to keep his star free of problems.
"We've had a terrible six weeks and we isolated him, and we've taken every single possible move to stop him getting the virus," he said.
"It means a lot to everybody. We haven't had a winner here for a while. You work hard and it's jolly nice to get a reward for it. His lad has been marvellous with him.
"There was a question mark over whether he would stay, but I knew he would. My only worry was the ground."
David Elsworth was delighted with Persian Punch's effort and the horse could come back next year to try to break his Gold Cup duck even though he will be 11.
The Whitsbury trainer said: "He's probably hit his best form now. And being realistic, he is 10 and if he hasn't won the Gold Cup by now he almost certainly never will.
"But that said, he has run a great race and it is always a thrill to see him run so well.
"There's no reason why he shouldn't stay in training next year."
