"David Egan's unexpected move to Newmarket leads to his triumph in the Stewards' Cup"
Two Tribes and David Egan Achieve Back-to-Back Wins in Major Races
In an impressive display of horse racing prowess, jockey David Egan and his mount, Two Tribes, claimed back-to-back victories in August 2025. First, they triumphed in the International Handicap at Ascot, followed by a win in the Coral Stewards' Cup at Goodwood just a week later.
These victories are particularly noteworthy as both races featured large and competitive fields (21 runners at Ascot, 26 at Goodwood), making the feat all the more challenging given the quick turnaround between races.
The success of Two Tribes was due to several factors:
- The horse was in excellent form, handling the physical demands of two high-tempo, large-field sprint handicaps within seven days. Its mindset and stamina were credited for enduring the quick racing schedule and maintaining peak performance.
- Trainer Richard Spencer and owner Phil Cunningham ensured Two Tribes was meticulously prepared, allowing the horse to recover and return to top condition for the second race.
- David Egan's riding was highly significant. A last-minute switch from riding at Newmarket to Goodwood put him back on Two Tribes for the Coral Stewards’ Cup. His timing and positioning, staying close to the stands’ rail and taking the lead from the previous year’s winner inside the final two furlongs, helped secure an emphatic two-length victory.
- The stable's overall dominance was notable as three other Spencer-trained horses also finished in the top five at Goodwood, highlighting a strong training and racing setup.
Egan described the Stewards' Cup win as straightforward, praising the horse's form and emphasizing how unusual and impressive it was to win by such a wide margin in a large field, especially shortly after the Ascot race. Spencer acknowledged the difficulty of such back-to-back races at this level and praised the staff’s role in managing the horse’s condition. The ground conditions differed from Ascot to Goodwood – quicker at Ascot, softer at Goodwood – which also tested the horse’s versatility and stamina, with Egan successfully adjusting his riding accordingly.
In the Stewards' Cup, Two Tribes faced 26 rivals, and Evanesco finished second. Meanwhile, Waardah won the Lillie Langtry Stakes in another race, according to separate reports. Al Aasy also won a race, putting a smile on Jim Crowley's face, while Charlie Fellowes experienced a change of fortune as Luther was awarded a Grade 2 win.
Overall, the combined factors of expert training by Spencer and Cunningham, the excellent physical and mental condition of Two Tribes, and the tactical, last-minute riding decision by David Egan led to these back-to-back top performances in the International Handicap at Ascot and the Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood in 2025.
[1] The Guardian [2] Racing Post [3] BBC Sport [4] Daily Telegraph [5] Sky Sports
Horse racing continued to captivate audiences as sports reporting outlets like The Guardian, Racing Post, BBC Sport, Daily Telegraph, and Sky Sports covered the remarkable achievments of jockey David Egan and Two Tribes. In the world of racing, horse-racing events such as the International Handicap at Ascot and the Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood gained further attention when Egan and Two Tribes achieved back-to-back victories, facing competitve fields andshowcasing impressive racing expertise.
