Stradivarius starts out on the road to history as hot favourite for Sagaro

2.45 Ascot
Longines Sagaro Stakes | Group 3 | 2m | 4yo+ | Sky

This could be the season when Stradivarius joins Yeats as the most successful horse in Gold Cup history and he starts out on the road to that fourth win in the Royal Ascot highlight in a race he hasn’t contested before.

The Yorkshire Cup has been the race of choice for John Gosden in two of the last three years and Stradivarius won that in 2018 and 2019, recording Racing Post Ratings of 118 and 120 respectively. On last year’s seasonal reappearance, Stradivarius was beaten into third in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket but still achieved an RPR of 117 over a trip short of his best.

All three of those RPRs are higher than anything else in this field has achieved at any stage of their careers, so there’s no reason to think Stradivarius won’t be fit enough for this return.

However, there is now a concern over whether he is as good as he was. He comes here after two disappointing runs, which include an abysmal effort over course and distance in October.

Gosden gave testing ground as an excuse but Stradivarius simply wasn’t himself that day, trailing in 62 lengths behind winner Trueshan. Every champion should probably be forgiven one bad day, but this was an aberration for Stradivarius, who simply doesn’t do bad days.

He has been a model of consistency throughout his career – he had only once finished out of the first three since his debut in 2016 before his last two runs – so is the fact he comes into this with form figures reading 70 an indication that time might be catching up with him?

The acid test will come back here in June, but this is no penalty kick against several classy rivals headed by Nayef Road, who has won after breaks of 193 days and 245 days on his last two seasonal reappearances, including when landing this race at Newcastle last campaign.
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Stradivarius has his first start in one of the more recognised staying trials on a mission to match the exploits of Yeats, who won four straight Ascot Gold Cups between 2006 and 2009.

The seven-year-old’s previous route to the royal meeting had kicked off in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup in May. However, that was in the days the £1 million bonus was on the cards for winning all four of the big summer staying events, a venture that was discontinued after Stradivarius bagged the loot in both 2018 and 2019.

After the retirement of Enable and Ghaiyyath, Stradivarius is the senior flag-bearer for Newmarket this year and he was able to stretch his legs on grass gallops such as the Limekilns in early April before the dry weather rendered them unusable.

Frankie Dettori celebrates his Gold Cup victory aboard StradivariusCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Frankie Dettori has partnered the seven-time Group 1 winner in his last two pieces of work on the all-weather surfaces and he is ready for his first start under the new training duo of John and Thady Gosden.

The latter said: “Stradivarius still seems to have the same energy as the last five seasons he’s been in training and it has always been the plan to come here with him first-time this year.

"The race looks to have a bit of depth to it and it will be nice to get him back on grass as he’s been confined to the all-weather surfaces at home just lately as it’s been so dry. He likes summer ground which it looks like he’s going to get, he likes Ascot and we’re hopeful of a nice comeback run.”

What they say

David Elsworth, trainer of Desert Skyline
He had a training setback after the Ebor two years ago and is ready to start back and I put him in the Ascot Gold Cup this morning. He’s been flattened many times by Stradivarius in the past so it’s a big ask.

Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager to Mohamed Obaida, owner of Nayef Road
He won the race last year when it was run at Newcastle and it looks like a good starting point for him again. Obviously it won’t be easy to turn Stradivarius over but he’s a tough, genuine horse who likes fast ground and won’t go down without a fight.

Roger Teal, trainer of Ocean Wind
He deserves a crack at this level which will tell us where we are with him as he didn’t stop improving all last year. You shouldn’t be afraid of just one horse and he ran a great race at Nottingham to put him right for this.

Charlie Fellowes, trainer of Prince Of Arran
We bypassed a trip to Dubai with him after he ran a rather lethargic race in Saudi Arabia in February and he’s been in great form in recent weeks. He had been missing the break so we have done some stalls practice with him and hopefully he can get away on terms this time. It looks a strong race so we’re probably playing for places but he loves Ascot and fast ground.

Hollie Doyle, rider of Stag Horn
He was progressive enough last year and has every right to be in this better race which will give us an idea at which level he can operate at this year. He’s been gelded and is going well at home so there are plenty of positives.
Reporting by David Milnes

Read more from Ascot on Wednesday:

Clive Cox and Adam Kirby seek authoritative show from Supremacy in royal trial

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