Gold Cup hero Stradivarius could be better than ever this year

Stradivarius underlined his dominance of the staying division with a repeat success in the Gold Cup on Thursday, overcoming a troubled passage to run close to his best and emulate last year's performance with a Racing Post Rating of 120+.

This success, on ground softer than ideal, and his win the Yorkshire Cup on his return last month point to his having improved again this year. While he's yet to prove that on the track, there's still time with the Goodwood Cup, scene of his best RPR last year, likely to see him in an even better light.

The soft ground may have been against him, but the lack of pace in the race certainly wasn't with Stradivarius boasting class and speed that the leading stayers cannot match.