'We had limited options from barrier 14 with Fay Fay before the race, but John Size and I discussed it and basically I said I wanted galloping room. I didn't want to be stopping and starting like in the Classic Cup, he's not that sort of horse.
From the gate we had the option to snag him straight back but I didn't want to do that - I did that last time and got into bother, so I jumped him positively and then worked it out as we went along.
It wasn't our initial thought to be so far forward, but that's the great asset riding for John, even in a Group One, that he trusts you do what you do best and think on the run.
We hadn't even gone 200m and I saw it all unfolding and just let Fay Fay roll. I didn't even have to ask him, I just let him go forward under his own steam and suddenly we were in third or fourth position.
Then I crept a bit more and got past Real Specialist and suddenly Fay Fay was in the box seat, albeit facing the breeze but Fay Fay is a kind of a horse that doesn't need to get in behind to relax.
Then when the pace slowed again and Real Specialist came around and got in front of him and now I've got cover. It couldn't have worked out better, but even in the slow pace I was concerned at that stage that he's been facing the breeze for most of the race and I just needed to get a breather at some stage, put him to sleep and conserve some energy.