Frankie Dettori can hit high note again with Stradivarius

Champions: Frankie Dettori celebrates winning a second Ascot Gold Cup on Stradivarius
Getty Images for Ascot Racecours
Michael Cooper29 July 2019

Stradivarius can cement his place among the staying greats tomorrow by becoming the first horse to win the Goodwood Cup three times in a row.

The five-year-old is a thorough stayer with a high cruising speed and a smart turn of foot. It is a potent mix and, in addition, he is in the care of champion trainer John Gosden and is ridden by Frankie Dettori, who is enjoying a golden summer of success even by his exalted standards.

Gosden and Dettori combined to win the King George at Ascot on Saturday with outstanding mare Enable, the most popular horse in training.

However, Stradivarius is not far behind her in terms of popularity because stayers usually hang around longer than most and racing fans appreciate that they give their all when running over such testing distances.

He has won eight races that fall under the QIPCO British Champions Series umbrella. The series is made up of the 35 top Flat races of the year and Stradivarius will equal the record nine that the legendary Frankel achieved in 2011 and 2012 if he is again successful.

Stradivarius was unbeaten in five starts last year, when he won the Yorkshire Cup, Gold Cup, a second Goodwood Cup, Lonsdale Cup and the British Champions Long Distance Cup. In the process, he scooped the inaugural Stayers’ Million bonus.

This year he has picked up from where he left off, becoming the first horse since Ardross (1981-82) to win back-to-back Yorkshire Cups before retaining his Gold Cup crown at Royal Ascot last month.

“He’s in great nick and does what he has to do and no more,” said Gosden. “It’s a huge factor in why he’s managed to hold his level of form. He’s probably quite good at winning on points.”

At Ascot he repelled the rally of Dee Ex Bee by a length, with Cross Counter, the first British-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup last November, not much further behind in fourth. The pair are back for another crack at him and arguments can be made for them turning the tables, but Stradivarius can confirm his superiority.

Dettori is riding as well as ever at the age of 48 and he is also fancied to land the Qatar Lennox Stakes (3pm) on Hey Gaman, plus the six-furlong maiden (4.10pm) on Cobra Eye.

The former impressed when winning his first two starts this season and lost little in defeat when runner-up to Romanised in Ireland last time.

It is hard to get away from the unbeaten Pinatubo in the Qatar Vintage Stakes (2.25pm). He looked a bit special when powering clear of Lope Y Fernandez, who he meets again, in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and his emphatic debut defeat of Platinum Dancer also reads well.

Cieren Fallon, son of former champion Kieren, is an emerging young talent and his 5lb claim will benefit the classy Mountain Hunter in the Unibet Handicap (1.50pm), while Maygold, an emphatic winner last time, makes the most appeal in the Chelsea Barracks Handicap (4.45pm).

Three-year-olds have thrived in recent runnings of the Unibet Fillies’ Handicap (5.15pm) and Salayel, touched off on her first start for Roger Varian last time, can keep up the sequence.

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