Run over a distance of roughly two and a half miles and, nowadays, open to horses aged four years and upwards, the Gold Cup is the traditional highlight of Royal Ascot. Established in 1807, the race has been won, often more than once, by some of the most notable stayers in history, including Sagaro, Yeats and Stradivarius, to name but three.
However, one horse whose name does not appear on the roll of honour, for reasons that will become apparent, is Rock Roi, who was described by the ‘Sunday Times’ as a four-year-old, in 1971, as ‘obviously the best stayer in the country’. Owned by Colonel Roger Hue-Williams and trained by Peter Walwyn, in Lambourn, Rock Roi had demonstrated his Gold Cup credentials by finishing second to Ramsin, one of the best endurance horses in Europe, in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp the previous month. Ridden by stable jockey Duncan Keith, Rock Roi was sent off favourite at Ascot and duly obliged, winning with plenty in hand of the Chester Cup winner, Random Shot. However, he subsequently tested positive for the banned substance oxyphenbutazone – a metabolite of the anti-inflammatory medication he had been given, on veterinary advice, to treat arthritis – and was disqualified.
As a five-year-old, Rock Roi was arguably better than ever, winning the John Porter Stakes at Newbury and the Prix du Cadran on the way to a shot at redemption in the Gold Cup. Despite unfavourably fast ground at Ascot, Rock Roi was sent off at long odds-on and, once again, was first past the post, rallying in the closing stages to beat Erimo Rock, ridden by Pat Eddery, by a head. However, at the subsequent stewards’ inquiry, the luckless horse was deemed to have caused interference to the runner-up and was disqualified for the second year running.