Stroll For Stradivarius At Doncaster

Stradivarius | racingfotos.com

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After the withdrawal of Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}) due to fast ground on Town Moor, Friday's G2 Doncaster Cup was a non-contest in every way and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) duly turned up, sauntered to victory without extending himself and made it 10 wins on the bounce as a result. Sent off at 1-9 in the absence of his season-long rival, Bjorn Nielsen's homebred was in front initially before being handed a lead from Cleonte (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}) and waiting in third. Sent forward by Frankie Dettori to brush aside that rival approaching the furlong pole, the chestnut asserted for a 1 3/4-length success to wrap up the old-fashioned “stayers' triple crown” and embellish his record with yet another landmark. “He's a lovely horse and he'd got too fresh at home so we had to come here even though I had no intention of doing so,” John Gosden said. “If we hadn't and waited for Champions Day and it turned heavy there he wouldn't run. To win these three Cup races [Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup] as Le Moss did puts him in that sort of department. Great horse.”

Stradivarius entered elite company a while ago and it is testament to his talent that a sportsman the like of Mark Johnston opted to swerve a rematch with Dee Ex Bee here. The Gosden kingpin is now on such a streak that only the very best need apply to enter the ring and this was another example of how dominant he is over the run-of-the-mill black-type stayers around. While he only ever exerts himself at a minimum once the last rival is passed, he has still managed to destroy several useful types who carry decent reputations into battle. Emmet Mullins took a chance on the well-regarded Sneaky Getaway (Ire) (Getaway {Ger}) here and he ended up almost 18 lengths adrift. In his last three starts, Stradivarius has put wide margins between himself and the likes of Falcon Eight (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Called To the Bar (Ire) (Henrythenavigator) without truly going into the red.

Frankie Dettori has had a golden spell to savour for years to come this summer and commented, “That's the easiest he's won. It was a messy race, but we expected it to be like that. I tried to make the running, but only as far as the first bend because he was looking at everything–he's never been in front from the start before. Oisin [Murphy on the runner-up] was running keen and I got a tow off him, then we went slow and sprinted the last three and a half but it didn't matter because I had more gears than them. I used him as a reference point and gave him three or four lengths start, because I knew once I passed him he thinks he's done enough.”

“He really loves his racing and is a push-button ride, when I say go he goes and the only thing worrying me was he had 9-10 and as a small horse to carry all that deadweight could be difficult but he's a grade above these and won like a 1-9 shot should,” Frankie added. “He'll stay in training next year and the people love him as they know exactly what they are going to get from him.”

John Gosden was looking at a broadly familiar start to 2020, hinting that Stradivarius could change tack after Goodwood. “I think he'd like to have a Sagaro, Yorkshire Cup–go that route again–and I think Mr Nielsen's big plan is to go to Ascot as he would love to win three Gold Cups. We'll try to do that if we can and probably the Goodwood Cup and if the horse is in great order, then regroup, which would be a bit of fun,” he explained. “He's had a much easier season this year than last. This year he's a very fresh horse still.”

There is a movement behind getting Stradivarius to try his hand in the 2020 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe which his brilliant relative Peintre Celebre so dominated in 1997. The likes of Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Westerner (GB) (Danehill) have placed after the game effort of Ardross (Ire) and he is undeniably in that bracket. The last living foal out of the dual listed-placed Private Life (Fr) (Bering), he is a half to the G3 Furstenberg-Rennen and G3 Bavarian Classic winner Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) from the family of the G1 Melbourne Cup-winning sire Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).

Friday, Doncaster, Britain
MAGNERS ROSE DONCASTER CUP S.-G2, £100,000, Doncaster, 9-13, 3yo/up, 17f 197yT, 3:59.28, g/f.
1–STRADIVARIUS (IRE), 136, h, 5, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Private Life (Fr) (MSP-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-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, 19-14-1-2, $3,172,379. *1/2 to Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Ger, $121,198; Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), GSP-Eng, $167,081; and Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}), SP-SAf. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cleonte (Ire), 131, g, 6, Sir Percy (GB)–Key Figure (GB), by Beat Hollow (GB). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Ecurie de Meautry (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £21,500.
3–Max Dynamite (Fr), 131, g, 9, Great Journey (Jpn)–Mascara (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). (€200,000 3yo '13 ARARC). O-Mrs S Ricci; B-SARL Ecurie Haras de Quetieville (FR); T-Willie Mullins. £10,760.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2HF, 2HF. Odds: 0.10, 16.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Barsanti (Ire), Sneaky Getaway (Ire). Scratched: Dee Ex Bee (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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