Gold Cup: Order of St George wins at Royal Ascot

Order of St George, ridden by Ryan Moore, won the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

The 10-11 favourite came strong on the back straight to finish ahead of Mizzou in second and Sheikhzayedroad in third.

"I had to ride about four different races - it was a nightmare," said Moore. "He is a class horse and class horses win races."

The success was Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien's second of the day after victory on favourite Even Song in the Ribblesdale Stakes.

Irishman O'Brien has now trained seven winners in the Gold Cup and 51 in total at the event.

He said: "I am delighted. It is a tough race - a long one at two and a half miles - but he is a horse that loves racing."

Order of St George secured his fifth straight win despite Mille Et Mille holding a 10-length lead at one stage.

Moore added: "He picked up very well and it was a very good performance."

14:30 Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) 5f - Prince of Lir 8-1

15:05 Tercentenary Stakes (Group 3) 1m 2f - Hawkbill 11-2

15:40 Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies' Group 2) 1m 4f - 7 Even Song 15-8 fav

16:20 Gold Cup in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday (Group 1) 2m 4f - Order of St George 10-11 fav

17:00 Britannia Stakes (Heritage handicap) 1m - Defrocked 13-2

17:35 King George V Stakes (Handicap) 1m 4f - Primitivo 13-2

All racing results from Royal Ascot

Earlier on Thursday, Moore secured an impressive victory in the Ribblesdale Stakes as Even Song triumphed by one and a half lengths ahead of Ajman Princess, who led for almost all the race.

The Gold Cup win was 32-year-old Moore's 39th victory at Royal Ascot.

He said of O'Brien: "All the superlatives have been said about Aidan.

"This win has just endorsed what everyone knows and says - he is one of the great trainers."

In the final race of the day, jockey William Twiston-Davies rode 13-2 chance Primitivo to victory in the King George V Stakes.

But there was bad news as Guy Fawkes, a horse owned by the Queen and a leading contender in the race, was put down after suffering a compound fracture of a front leg.

Horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght

"'A small part of a big team' is how Aidan O'Brien, ever infuriatingly modest, reacted to his latest landmark, but the truth is that O'Brien is captain of the vast Coolmore ship, and all of them are a major part of the modern history of this flagship flat racing event.

"Of course he gets some of the best material with which to go to sea, but there are plenty of rocks to hit, and he rarely does.

"Order Of St George met trouble in running, and had to navigate out again through the last half-mile, but achieved it in the style of a real champion."