FRIDAY, 22 JUNE 2018 IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL STRADIVARIUS ANSWERS By Chris McGrath GOLD CUP CALL The longest day, and in more ways than one. On the two previous mornings, the only racegoers on the train had been murmuring to each other over the rustle of their newspapers, trying not to feel too conspicuous in their finery among the stolid and resentful commuters. Yesterday, the same service was crammed with the noisy, bibulous vanguard of Ladies' Day, launching a fusillade of corks in ominous syncopation with the safety-catch clicking of cans. Some, plainly, were setting impossible early fractions. By the time the shadows of the solstice evening began to lengthen, they had been given an edifying lesson in how to manage a far more arduous test of stamina. And not just by the three magnificent horses who, after two and a half miles, produced a Gold Cup very nearly as thrilling as the one that last year qualified as the race of the British season. Cont. p4 Stradivarius prevails in a Gold Cup thriller | racingfotos.com IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Thursday=s G1 Ascot Gold Cup was mostly talked of as a match BODY & SOUL: ALL HAIL! between Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Stradivarius Robert Fierro investigates the biomechanics of the (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), but the 2016 winner and 2017 descendants of Roberto. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN runner-up could manage only fourth this time while Bjorn America. Nielsen=s 4-year-old excelled in a fight with Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). Successful in the G2 Queen=s Vase at this meeting 12 months ago, the chestnut--who was the 7-4 joint-favourite alongside the Ballydoyle stalwart--was kept back in fourth off the moderate early pace by Frankie Dettori. Angled out to grab the lead with a furlong remaining, he had Vazirabad to deal with from there but saw out the two and a half miles thoroughly to score by 3/4 of a length, with a head back to Torcedor (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in third and Order of St George a further three lengths away. AIt went perfectly--it was a great race and we had to fight for it, but he was very brave and did all the running for me,@ Dettori commented as he savoured a 60th Royal Ascot winner and a sixth win in the Gold Cup which lived up to all expectations. AThe crowd were behind it and I was loving it. Full credit to the horse, he was brave as a lion. Sometimes a race looks a great match on paper, but this turned out to be a great renewal. I come alive here--I love it! The Gold Cup is the showcase of the week and to do it for the John Gosden team is amazing--they are all my friends.@ Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 2 OF 24 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 22 JUNE 2018 Stradivarius Answers Gold Cup Call Cont. from p1 Stradivarius=s success means that he is a potential winner of the WH Stayers= Million in its inaugural year, having captured the 14-furlong G2 Yorkshire Cup on May 18. He only has to repeat his win in the July 31 G2 Goodwood Cup and then take the Aug. 24 G2 Lonsdale Cup back at York to provide his owner- breeder with the ultimate reward for his devotion to concentrating on staying types. This colt=s early period featured a maiden win on Newcastle=s Tapeta as a juvenile and he is yet another Royal Ascot winner to have previously scored on an all- weather surface. Second in a Chester handicap last May before coming to the fore in the Queen=s Vase, his acceleration up the ranks was marked thereafter as he beat the Gold Cup hero Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in receipt of 13 pounds weight-for-age in the Goodwood Cup before running third in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster in September. Admirable when third again behind Order of St George and Torcedor on soft ground which played against him and into the hands of that duo in the two-mile G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup, he had danced through the Yorkshire Cup on his return to set up this tilt. As he had in the Goodwood Cup, Stradivarius was a touch keen throughout the early stages with Mount Moriah (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) left in charge of pacesetting duties and Torcedor and Order of St George in second and third. With Ryan Moore keen to lift the tempo in the back straight as Johnny Murtagh Frankie was tracking his every move while Christophe used to on Yeats (Ire), he had to angle three-wide to do so but Soumillon was on his mount=s tail and Torcedor was refusing to the response was laboured which was perhaps predictable given give in up ahead, so the first of the main protagonists to crack how mulish he had been going down to the start. was Order of St George as he was squeezed out at the furlong pole. Once in front, Stradivarius kept rolling to deny the French raider who brought further international credibility to this vintage renewal. John Gosden, who was winning this for the first time, said, AIt was an extraordinary race. Frankie said they didn=t go that quick and his heels were definitely down early on, which meant the horse was taking him on. As usual, Mr. Soumillon was waiting like all good Frenchman to pounce late and frustrate us and it was a fascinating tactical race, because if Frankie had gone too soon there was the danger that Vazirabad would nail him. It was a proper finish and look at the line-up as they headed to the line. This little fellow stuck his neck out and on this ground he can flick off it. He=s a gorgeous little staying horse that we call Mighty Mouse because he=s not very big--he looks a bit like a mini Trigger with his four white feet, but he=s done it really, Frankie Dettori flying dismounts from Stradivarius, really well. He=ll go for the Goodwood Cup next.@ his 60th Royal Ascot winner | Racing Post Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 3 OF 24 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 22 JUNE 2018 Pedigree Notes... IT WAS A FASCINATING TACTICAL The product of a labour of love in breeding by Bjorn Nielsen, Stradivarius was rolling back the years for his family at the track RACE, BECAUSE IF FRANKIE HAD GONE at which his brilliant third dam Pawneese (Ire) captured the TOO SOON THERE WAS THE DANGER 1976 King George. The last foal out of the dual listed-placed VAZIRABAD WOULD NAIL HIM. IT WAS Private Life (Fr) (Bering {GB}), who was purchased for 70,000gns at the 2006 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, he is therefore a A PROPER FINISH. half-brother to four black-type performers including the G3 John Gosden Bavarian Classic and G3 Furstenberg-Rennen-winning German highweight Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). This dynasty also features the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) who also captured the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and, further back, the G1 Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe and G1 Gold Cup Cont. G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero and leading sire Peintre Celebre Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre finally got His Highness The Aga (Nureyev). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style Khan=s leading French stayer to this race only to be undone by pedigree. the new class act on the scene, but he took defeat with grace despite casting doubt on his charge=s winning attitude. AWhen Vazirabad got to the front, he stopped. He doesn=t like to be in front too long,@ he explained. AHe was touched two or three times by the winner and after that, he refused to give the Thursday, Royal Ascot, Britain maximum. He can have a long career as he only does the GOLD CUP-G1, ,500,000, Ascot, 6-21, 4yo/up, 19f 210yT, minimum. Christophe rode him well and he couldn=t have 4:21.08, g/f. waited any longer. We might look at something like the 1--STRADIVARIUS (IRE), 127, c, 4, by Sea the Stars (Ire) Goodwood Cup and the Group 1s in France at the end of the 1st Dam: Private Life (Fr) (MSP-Fr), by Bering (GB) season.@ 2nd Dam: Poughkeepsie (Ire), by Sadler=s Wells Jessie Harrington said of the G3 Sagaro S. winner Torcedor, 3rd Dam: Pawneese (Ire), by Carvin II who ran another solid race here, AHe saw the trip out very well (330,000gns RNA Ylg >15 TATOCT). O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); today and kept on finding all the way to the line. He goes on that T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. ,283,550. Lifetime ground, but on soft ground he probably goes on it better than Record: 11-6-1-2, $1,191,172. *1/2 to Persian Storm (Ger) other horses. He goes just as well as other horses on fast (Monsun {Ger}), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Ger, ground, but I think he does like softer conditions. It was a great $121,198; Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), performance and hopefully we=ll bring him back again next GSP-Eng, $167,081; and Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}), year.@ SP-SAf. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Derrick Smith, part-owner of Order of St George, commented, Nick Rating: A+.