Michael Bell has warned Big Orange‘s rivals for the Qatar Goodwood Cup that the defending champion is starting to hit his peak.
The six-year-old heads for Glorious Goodwood looking to win the newly upgraded Group One race for a third time, having taken the honours for the past two years, and will arrive in Sussex in excellent form.
The Bill Gredley-owned gelding has won on his last two starts, including taking the Ascot Gold Cup in June, and is the even-money favourite for the Qatar Goodwood Cup ahead of an epic encounter with Order Of St George.
Bell believes Big Orange has an excellent chance to equal Double Trigger’s hat-trick of Goodwood Cup wins, claiming that as a staying horse he is only just starting to see the best of him.
Bell told Sky Sports: “They are coming into their prime at this age. Basically staying horses are the nearest thing to National Hunt horses. At six, he is a young horse and he has only run 24 times. He is not exactly over-raced.
“There is no reason why he won’t be as good for the next couple of years as a stayer. He has just filled his frame now.
“He is 17 hands and he has just come to himself. He shouldn’t deteriorate for the next couple of years, he should be able to hold his form at that level.
“Those good stayers like Persian Punch, Double Trigger and Further Flight go on forever. God willing, barring injury, he should be able to compete at this level for a couple of years at least.
“He would be the first to win three on the trot, but obviously Double Trigger was an extremely popular horse and it would be nice to join him.”
