Emily Dickinson enhances Gold Cup claims at Navan

‘She’s an exciting filly, she has a big engine’.

Emily Dickinson could be a ready-made substitute for Aidan O’Brien to fill the void left by Kyprios in the Gold Cup following her easy win in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan.

O’Brien often uses the Listed contest over a mile and three-quarters as a starting point for his Gold Cup horses – indeed Kyprios was successful 12 months ago before going on to Ascot glory.

With the chestnut on the sidelines O’Brien needed a stayer for the Cup races and this filly, who signed off last year with a Group Three win, looks just the ticket.

Never far from the pace under Ryan Moore, she bounded clear in the heavy ground to beat the useful French Claim by five lengths.

She is now a general 4-1 shot for the Gold Cup.

O’Brien said of his 11-8 winner: “She loves a trip and she relaxes, that’s the key. She stays well and she has class as well. She’s an exciting filly, she has a big engine.

“The plan was to come here and then go to Leopardstown for the Saval Beg. Then, hopefully, she will go from there to the Gold Cup.

“She is a filly that we always thought when she went beyond a mile and a half, we would see the best of her.

“She handles an ease in the ground well, but she also handles quick ground.”

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