Will old father time catch up with Kyprios or can the star stayer turn back the clock?

Aidan O’Brien might have won eight Gold Cups but if he can bring Kyprios back to land the royal showpiece for a second time, two years after his first success, it may be his best achievement in the race.

The trainer is no stranger to such feats, having brought Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy back from 2,000 Guineas no-shows to land back-to-back Derbys. He also saddled Yeats to a record four consecutive victories in this race from 2006-09, but Kyprios has been far from easy to handle.

He ran only twice at two, twice at three and twice at five, but did win six on the bounce in a four-year-old season that culminated in him recording a career-best Racing Post Rating of 128.