'This is what we do it for' - owner, trainer and jockey revel in sensational Ayr Gold Cup-Silver Cup double

The early birds had to wait an awfully long time to get their worm but they ended up crowned in Gold and Silver.

Owner Phil Cunningham had vowed to have a "really good kick" at the big races this season under the banner of Rebel Racing and his enthusiasm showed as he and trainer Richard Spencer were up at Ayr, bright-eyed and raring to go for the draw for the Ladbrokes Gold Cup on Thursday morning.

The entourage arrived up from Newmarket armed with data on what stalls to look out for at an event that no other trainer attended except Jim Goldie – who is 25 miles away, rather than 400.

They were out of luck with the first five of their dozen runners at the meeting over the first two days, but then it all changed. 

First Candy landed the consolation Silver Cup, making all the running on the near side under George Wood and holding on well to score by a length and three-quarters.

Then Run Boy Run stepped up on last week's fourth in the Portland Handicap, making most of the running on the far side this time and holding on gamely by a neck from Desert Falcon.

A famous double: George Wood (left), Phil Cunningham (second from left), Aidan Cunningham (second from right) and Richard Spencer with the Ayr Gold Cup and Silver Cup trophiesCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

It capped a season during which Spencer had landed the International Stakes and Stewards' Cup with Two Tribes, who finished tenth here.

"We've just got the right horses and we've got a great team of staff at home who do an amazing job," the trainer said.

"We've been targeting all the major festivals this year. Phil wanted to give it a really good kick, coming racing and enjoying the weeks of festivals. 

"It's been a great season for us. We haven't had a lot of winners, but prize-money is up and we've been targeting winners on the big days, which we all want to do."

Wood, the first jockey to do the Gold-Silver double since James Doyle in 2014, was confident he was on the right horse among the yard's trio, and said: "I've been sticking with this horse all year. I always knew there was going to be a big race in him. The going played a big part; both the winners loved the tacky ground.

"I travelled well and managed to get a breather into him going down to the two, which is very difficult in these big heritage handicaps. The fact they quickened off it shows they're good classy horses.

"This is great; it's what we do it for. I came all the way from Newmarket on Thursday and we came up for this reason. It all panned out."

Run Boy Run returns to the winner's enclosureCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Spencer also had plenty of faith in the winner, and said: "Run Boy Run has been a fantastic horse this year. He had one blip at York, where he wasn't quite right, but he ran really well in the Portland last week and the team have done a great job freshening him up.

"George is a massive part of our team. Unfortunately Saffie Osborne got injured and couldn't be up here this week, but George is a big team player and he's been doing a lot of work for us over the last year or so, so it's great to see him ride a big winner."

Spencer hopes there could be more to come from Candy and wonders whether he could possibly emulate Run Boy Run next season.

"George gets on well with him and he loves this sort of ground," he said. "He ran well the other day. We freshened him up and we thought the draw was good.

"The ground is the key to him. He seems to relish it, he has a high cruising speed and he can keep it going. He could hopefully be coming back here next year for the big one."

After his amazing double success, Cunningham admitted: "I don't know what to say; it's quite emotional. We're just getting stronger and stronger. It's my first time up here and I think we'll come back!"

Who are Rebel Racing?

By Oliver Barnard

Founded in 2016 by Phil Cunningham, Rebel Racing are a private training operation who employ Richard Spencer to train their horses. 

The business was named after Cunningham's first horse he fully owned, Cockney Rebel, who won both the British and Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2007.

Rebel Racing's highest-level success since came in June 2017, when Rajasinghe won the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. That horse now stands at the National Stud.

However, it has been 2025 that has become a year to remember for the team, as they have landed some of the most prestigious sprint handicaps in racing.

Two Tribes, sired by Rajasinghe, won the International Handicap at Ascot in July before landing the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood the following weekend. Then at Ayr on Saturday, Rebel Racing completed a memorable Cup double, first with Candy in the Silver Cup, then Run Boy Run, another progeny of Rajasinghe, taking the Gold Cup.

Cunningham underlined his ambition early this year by paying a record A$2.8 million for a Snitzel colt at Australia’s Magic Millions sale, while Rebel Racing are also expanding internationally by setting up a Dubai base for winter campaigning.

Rebel Racing are based at Sefton Lodge in Newmarket. They moved there in 2018, doubling their capacity when Cunningham bought the facility and moved the operation from Albert House Stables.

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