Sea the Stars's Stradivarius Calls the Tune in the Queen's Vase

Stradivarius | racingfotos.com

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   Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase has been the exclusive domain of Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed bin Suroor, Mark Johnston and Aidan O'Brien this century, but it was the turn of John Gosden–who registered his sole success in 1992 with Landowner (Ire) (Kris {GB})–to crash the party as the Bjorn Nielsen homebred Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) outstayed his rivals to prevail in Friday's latest edition. Fresh from an Apr. 19 10-furlong handicap score at Beverley and a last out second upped to an extended 12 panels around Chester's tight turns last time May 10, the 11-2 chance was buried under cover along the fence in seventh as Johnston's Time to Study (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) bounded along on the front end. Andrea Atzeni remained unflustered when caught in traffic off the home turn and weaved a passage to the front with 100 yards remaining, driving out his mount to assert by a neck from Count Octave (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as Secret Advisor (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) ran on from the rear to finish two lengths back in third. “We planned this race for some time after Chester, Andrea's ridden him beautifully from an outside draw and saved ground all the way,” Gosden explained. “He slipped here, he slipped there, wriggle, wriggle, and found his way through. He's not a big horse and won it in good style. He's a [G1] St Leger type, he's improving all the time and has a great attitude.”

 

Friday, Royal Ascot, Britain
QUEENS VASE-G2, £161,250, ASC, 6-23, 3yo, 13f 211yT, 3:01.47, g/f.
1–#@STRADIVARIUS (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Private Life (Fr), by Bering (GB)
2nd Dam: Poughkeepsie (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Pawneese (Ire), by Carvin II
(330,000gns RNA Ylg '15 TATOCT). O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-John Gosden; J-Andrea Atzeni. £91,445. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0, $130,943. *1/2 to Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Ger, $121,198; and Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), GSP-Eng, $163,881. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Count Octave (GB), 126, c, 3, Frankel (GB)#tot">Frankel (GB)–Honorine (Ire), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). O/B-Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £34,669.
3–Secret Advisor (Fr), 126, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Sub Rose (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Godolphin; B-Haras de Saint Pair (FR); T-Charlie Appleby. £17,351.
Margins: NK, 2, HD. Odds: 5.50, 8.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Belgravia (Ire), Time To Study (Fr), Desert Skyline (Ire), Mister Manduro (Fr), Face the Facts (Ire), Alqamar (GB), Night of Glory (GB), Haripour (Ire), Wisconsin (Jpn), Fierce Impact (Jpn). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
   Reduced in distance from two miles and upgraded to Group 2 status for the first time this year, the contest is an ideal trial for Doncaster's Sept. 16 G1 St Leger, notwithstanding Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire})'s victories in both four years ago. John Gosden confirmed the world's oldest Classic as the chestnut's target and said, “He enjoyed the distance and all being well, we will point him to the St Leger. I think he might just have one more run before then. He is a light-framed horse and I want to keep him fresh. He doesn't need over-racing so he can just have a prep run and then go.”
   Runner-up Count Octave is also a St Leger possible, according to trainer Andrew Balding, and may take in that race's traditional stepping stone, York's Aug. 23 G2 Great Voltigeur S., en route to Doncaster. “This is only his fourth career start, he's still learning and we're delighted with him,” Balding said. “He's a horse for the future and is a lovely stayer going forward. He might just be a Leger horse this year, but he wouldn't want the ground too soft as he's a top-of-the-ground horse. I think York would suit him very well as a track. Obviously we've got to discuss it with Sheikh Fahad, but to me it would be the obvious place for him.”
   Charlie Appleby was equally pleased after Secret Advisor made up ground from rear in the straight to get up for third nearing the line. “I am delighted with that,” he said. “We always felt he'd improve with stepping up in trip and he is a nice horse for the future. This is only the fourth race of his career and he should improve more. Staying is going to be his game, that is what he is bred to do.” Rider William Buick added, “It was a good run, but he wasn't really travelling early on so I had to settle at the back. They didn't go a great gallop, he made up great ground at the end and is one for the future.”
   Stradivarius is out of the dual stakes-placed Private Life (Fr) (Bering {GB}) and is a half-brother to G3 Bavarian Classic and G3 Furstenberg-Rennen-winning German highweight Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), G3 John Porter S. third Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and the stakes-placed Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}). His winning granddam Poughkeepsie (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) is the third dam of G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and G1 Melbourne Cup-winning Australian champion stayer Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). His third dam is the Pawneese (Ire), who was French champion 3-year-old filly in 1976 courtesy of her triumphs in the G1 Prix de Diane and Horse of the Year in England in the same year having captured the G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at this track.

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