A record-breaker but 125 rating did not entitle him to be hailed great champion

Stradivarius earned a place in racing history in May when breaking the record for the most Group wins by a horse trained in Europe since the Flat Pattern was created in 1971.

Bjorn Nielsen's eight-year-old's victory in the Yorkshire Cup was his 18th Group win, breaking the record of 17 he had previously shared with Cirrus Des Aigles.

Those 18 successes included four consecutive victories (2017-20) in the Goodwood Cup, equalling the record for the most wins in the same European Group 1 event held by Vinnie Roe (Irish St Leger), Yeats (Ascot Gold Cup) and Goldikova (Prix Rothschild).