The late change of plan, a huge gamble and an extraordinary training feat: Two Tribes storms to brilliant Stewards' Cup success

It’s hard enough to win one major handicap but Two Tribes made it two in the space of a week when storming away with the Coral Stewards' Cup.

Two Tribes was winless since a Sandown nursery nearly two years ago before last weekend's neck victory in the International Handicap at Ascot, but he made this tougher assignment look simple under a 6lb penalty and took his seven-day haul to more than £200,000. 

That is more than most horses earn in their career but there was ample confidence behind his challenge for the unique double and owner Phil Cunningham was one of the shrewd punters who forced his price into 11-2 from a best-priced 20-1 overnight. 

The winner wasn't even an intended runner until midweek, and Cunningham said: “It was a lovely victory last Saturday and we weren’t going to run him after that, but there was a change of plan on Wednesday. 

“We said we’d keep Two Tribes to seven furlongs, but it was a big pot and he was going to sneak in at the bottom under a penalty, so we said we’d have a crack at it. It’s worked out perfectly.”

Two Tribes has acquired a reputation for being quirky but David Egan might not agree. He is a perfect two from two on the four-year-old and had a straightforward task as his mount travelled strongly in the middle of the favoured near-side pack before muscling his way into the clear just before the two-furlong pole. 

The jockey began asking him to quicken in earnest only passing the next furlong marker, and Two Tribes willingly shot two and a quarter lengths clear of Strike Red and Jakajaro to land one of the most competitive sprints of the season in unusually easy fashion.

Cunningham's dream result was completed by Run Boy Run and October's 80,000gns purchase Twilight Calls, who split the width of the track in fourth and fifth. The most difficult feature of the race for the owner was trying to keep tabs on which set of Rebel Racing's black and white silks was doing best.

"It was difficult to try and pick them out, I even confused myself with the cap colours, but we got there in the end and it was absolutely amazing," said Cunningham, who also stands the winning sire Rajasinghe. 

"He was a 6,000gns foal and it's great for the stallion to have a winner on a big day at a big festival. The last winner we had here was Rumble Inthejungle in the Molecomb seven years ago and we’ve been looking for another ever since.

Two Tribes (David Egan) is led into the winner's enclosure with trainer Richard Spencer after the Stewards' CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We’ve got a better group of horses now and we’re trying to improve the quality year-on-year. I think it’s now starting to come to the fore."

Cunningham’s commitment to British racing has not wavered since he burst on to the scene with Cockney Rebel’s 2,000 Guineas success in 2007 and his increased investment will be a boost to Richard Spencer.

The trainer was encouraged by how Two Tribes had come out of his heroics on King George day and went into the race full of confidence about his three runners.

“He didn't have a saddle on his back until Wednesday and he's done very little in the run-up to today," he said. "I was happy with what I was seeing and we had to have a go. David seems to have got a great tune out of him last week and this.

Two Tribes (farside) wins the Stewards' Cup as stablemate Twilight Calls (nearest) finishes fifthCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I thought all three runners had really good chances. I told everyone the same this morning that I couldn't split them, but in the back of your mind you always worry that running a week later is going to be too soon – obviously it wasn't!

"I was dying to get Run Boy Run back to six furlongs with the visor on and Twilight Calls will win a big one. He was drawn on the wrong side today and has done well to finish where he did. I think we'll have a lot of fun with them.”

The last week has provided its fair share of joy for Spencer, but he is hungry for more.

"It would have been better to get the first, second and third!” he said. “We do it to win and don't want to be getting beaten by anyone, but it's a great result and they've all run well. Not many horses win any race like he did, never mind a handicap, and I didn't expect him to win like that."

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