Clive Cox: 'There's real strength in depth in Tattersalls Gold Cup but every reason to believe Ghostwriter is as good as ever'

Clive Cox is confident Ghostwriter can build on his comeback performance in Dubai and mount a strong challenge in Sunday’s Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.

Owned by Jeff Smith, Ghostwriter finished fourth in the Dubai Turf at Meydan on Dubai World Cup night last month, with the three horses in front of him all having had the benefit of a run.

Since returning from the Middle East, Ghostwriter has continued to please Cox in his training and is set to head to Ireland, where he finished fifth in last year’s Irish Champion Stakes.

Cox said: “It was a huge run from him in Dubai last time and it was worthwhile going there with him – he won £200,000 in prize-money for finishing fourth. 

“He’s been very well and happy in himself since he came home and I think the winter sunshine has done him a lot of good. I’ve been really happy with how he’s trained since he’s been back, so I’m very much hoping he can improve on that performance with a run under his belt.”

Alenquer was the last Tattersalls Gold Cup winner trained in Britain when landing the prize for William Haggas in 2022, while the likes of Noble Mission, Al Kazeem and Notnowcato have also triumphed at the Curragh for British-based trainers.

Ghostwriter: a 5-1 shot for the Tattersalls Gold CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Ghostwriter, who will be ridden by Rossa Ryan on Sunday, finished third in both the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International last season, as well as taking fourth in the 2,000 Guineas and Prix du Jockey Club, but was unable to add to his three successes as a two-year-old.

The likes of last year’s winner White Birch, Los Angeles and Kalpana are likely to take on Ghostwriter when he bids to provide Cox with a first Group 1 victory since 2020, but the trainer believes his four-year-old will be lining up in tip-top condition.

“You can make a case for a lot of the horses – there’s real strength in depth and competition, which is great for people to see,” said Cox. “Ghostwriter’s been extraordinarily consistent over the last 12 months, and there’s every reason to believe he’s as good as he’s ever been based on what we’ve seen in the build-up.”

Jasour: lines up at Salisbury on SaturdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

As well as Ghostwriter returning to the course, Cox is set to run Jasour for the first time this season in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury on Saturday.

The four-year-old, owned by Sheikh Sultan Al Khalifa, was a Group 2 winner as a juvenile and a Group 3 winner last year. He returns for the first time since having a wind operation before a potential shot at Royal Ascot, where he is entered in the King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

“He took his time coming to himself in the spring so this is a good starting point,” said Cox. “We very much hope that he can put in a good run and it can be used as a stepping stone to Ascot.”

Tattersalls Gold Cup (3.35 Curragh, Sunday)
bet365: 9-4 Los Angeles, 11-4 Kalpana, White Birch, 5 Ghostwriter, 6 Anmaat, 9 Almaqam, 12 Al Riffa, 14 bar. 

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