Robert Whitaker joined an elite group of riders to have lifted both the Derby and the Al Shira’aa King George V gold cup in the same year when he retained his stranglehold on Hickstead’s classics with a masterful performance on Vermento.
Rob and Caroline Blatchford’s stallion have now seized this CSIO 5* grand prix at the Agria Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) twice in the past three years, while Rob also claimed this year’s Derby with Gentlemen VH Veldhof.
“I was really confident today and sometimes you have these rounds that don’t work but my round worked everywhere, every turn, every stride I got was at the right moment,” Rob said.
It was a strong week for Whitakers; Rob’s cousin James won the Queen’s Cup on Just Call Me Henry — who, like Vermento, is sired by John Whitaker’s Argento — and two of them remained in the running for this €54,500 grand prix, making up half the four-man jump-off field.
There was a lot of class on show from the Brits in the first round; five combinations missed out by just four faults — John Whitaker (Equine America Unique Du Francport), Matthew Sampson (Daniel), Jane Annett (Jywan), Mark Edwards (Dillinger) and Sammie-Jo Coffin, who had a foot in the water with the very consistent Chaccomo Blue.
But it was Rob’s cousin Donald, last year’s winner on Millfield Collette, who delivered the only other British clear, this time riding the 14-year-old gelding Di Caprio.
They were joined by Ireland’s Jordan Coyle (Chaccolino) and the UAEs Omar Abdul Aziz AL Marzooqi riding the exciting 11-year-old Enjoy De La Mure.
High-stakes jump off delivers drama
The jump-off round Kelvin Bywater and Ben Townley’s track was packed with drama, and demanded all the quality you’d expect for this historic class, whose solid gold trophy dates back to 1911.
First out Jordan and the 14-year-old Chacco Blue x Heartbreaker gelding attacked the course in a lovely open rhythm to set a worthy benchmark in 40.17sec.
“I don’t think I could have done anything differently, unfortunately!” said Jordan, who finished thirf. “I probably couldn’t have gone faster or had that round again, even if I had another 20 attempts at it. The horse has been amazing recently, for the past six months he’s been clear every round he’s jumped but he’s just not the fastest.”
Luck wasn’t shining on next-in Donald this year, his brilliant start on Di Caprio was quashed at the double, when the gelding pecked on landing jumping in and had to be pulled out of the second part.
It left the door open for Rob, who executed a scything line round the water to the closing oxer to axe 1.29sec off Jordan’s time.
“I watched Jordan’s round and I didn’t really need to see anything after that, he did all the distances that I thought I was going to do and I knew I needed to be a bit similar to him,” Rob said. “Vermento is a big horse, but somehow he’s actually quite fast. I’ve been fast indoors with him as well, when you’d think he wouldn’t be, I think he’s just quick across the ground.”
But there was still one more rider, Omar, between Rob and glory and the UAE’s Al-Shira’aa-backed team, trained by William Funnell, are a growing force on the international stage.
His round on the world-class Enjoy De La Mure was up on the clock, until he opted to take a check at the final oxer, crossing the line 0.86sec behind.
“To be honest, in the jump-off I just wanted to be clear because I’ve been unlucky the past couple of jump0offs and speed classes and I had the last fence twice in the Nations Cup,” he said. “Classes like this give you confidence and I will definitely be back for more.”
Rob’s performance ranks among the elite
Only three other — legendary — combinations have matched Rob’s performance in winning the Derby and King’s Cup in the same year. The first were while the events were at different venues: David Broome with Mr Softee in 1966 and Harvey Smith with Mattie Brown in 1970.
The only rider to manage the feat after both events moved to Hickstead in 1992 was Rob’s uncle Michael, who landed them that year with Monsanta and Midnight Madness.
“He’s good, him!” Rob quipped.
Rob’s double King George victories are now also close to rivalling his father John’s three triumphs in the class: with Ryan’s Son in 1986, Milton in 1990 and Welham in 1997.
“I don’t think he’ll be giving me any other horses to ride now!” Rob added.
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