Moore Earns Milestone Win With Garden of Eden

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore landed their third Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) in a row June 19 as Garden of Eden (IRE) powered home off a strong gallop set by her stablemate Island Hopping (IRE) to land odds of 7-1. As soon as the gates opened, Dylan Browne McMonagle shot clear on Island Hopping and built up a big lead, while Ryan Moore settled his mount in third. The leader began to falter as they straightened for home, ultimately finishing 10th of 11, and 2-1 favorite Catalina Delcarpio (IRE) hit the front but Garden of Eden powered past her a furlong and a half from home and scored in dominant fashion. The John and Thady Gosden-trained Understudy (GB) came through for second, while Catalina Delcarpio kept on to take third. It's O'Brien's fifth winner in the last 11 runnings of the race and the winner followed in the footsteps of Port Fairy (IRE) and Warm Heart (IRE), who landed the odds for Moore and O'Brien in the last two runnings. With the success, Moore moved past Edward Hide for sole possession of 10th place on the all-time wins list by flat jockeys in Britain. A 2,594th British flat success was enough to bring up one of the most impressive milestones of Moore's incredible career, joining the likes of Sir Gordon Richards, Pat Eddery, Lester Piggott, Willie Carson, and Frankie Dettori as one of the greatest jockeys in the history of British flat racing. It was a fourth win at this year's Royal Ascot for Moore, who has taken his tally of winners at the royal meeting to 89 and is in pole position to win a 12th top jockey title—with Ascot Racecourse Supports, the track's charity and community program, pledging £5,000 to the Retraining of Racehorses charity for each winner he partners this year. Moore remains a staggering 2,276 adrift of Richards in top spot on the all-time list, but has Fred Archer next in his crosshairs. Ninth on the list will be achieved with another 155 winners on British soil. The dominant international group 1 rider of his generation is one of just three active jockeys on the list. Dettori (3,366), who is now plying his trade in America, suggested this week he could yet try to add to his tally on these shores. Joe Fanning, seventh on the all-time list with 2,914 winners, is the other active rider in the top 10. Moore's first winner in Britain came as a 16-year-old back in 2000. He was champion apprentice in 2003 and it took until 2006 for the first of his three British jockeys' championships. Moore also topped the table in 2008 (the year of his first Royal Ascot winners) and 2009. His best year in Britain in terms of total winners came in 2013, with 194 winners. Since 2015, he has ridden as number one for Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien. He has broken the century for domestic winners in a calendar year just twice since teaming up with the Ballydoyle operation. Moore Scores Again in Hampton Court It didn't take long to tally win No. 2,595 as Moore showed why he ranks among the best jockeys of all time in Britain while showing a masterclass on Trinity College (IRE) in the Hampton Court Stakes (G3). He completed his treble Thursday afternoon with a fine display from the front on the Prix du Jockey Club (G1) fourth-place finisher, who he was riding for only the second time. He was soon in front and set a fair pace. The outcome looked less than clear-cut as rivals made their moves entering the straight, but Moore had kept enough in reserve to go clear again for a 3 1/2-length win. "Wayne Lordan's been riding him most of the time and he said he likes it that way," Moore said. "At Epsom we held on to him and he hung down the camber. He quickened up very well, he's a smart colt. He's a Dubawi and they usually progress." It was the jockey's fifth victory in the Hampton Court and also a fifth for trainer Aidan O'Brien. "Ryan gave him a beautiful ride, had him in a lovely rhythm early and when he started getting him to move, he really moved, kept going to the line so you'd be very happy with him now," O'Brien said. "He would have a lot of options, he could be an American Derby horse."