Sergeant Cecil could make history if he wins the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot with a £225,000 prize next Thursday. The horse entered the record books in 2005 by becoming the first to win the three most important races in the same season: the Northumberland Plate, Cesarewitch and Ebor.

The seven-year-old proved his worth when he finished second in Doncaster and Yorkshire Cups. Rod Millman, Sgt. Cecil’s owner, considers this moment a landmark in the horse’s career and horse racing as a whole. It is his first time in Group One, much farther than he has ever reached before.

Millman said he feels really pleased about Sgt. Cecil’s performance for the time being. He expects the weather will help. Cecil prefers running on good fast ground, so rain would represent a disadvantage. Even though the ground didn’t help, he did very well last time at York.

Alan Munro, Cecil’s jockey, also has very high expectations on the horse. “He’s really close to my heart. He’s fantastic”, Munro said. He had been away for some time until Sgt. Cecil gave him this wonderful chance. “I owe him a lot”, he added.