At the age of eight, and having established himself as one of the finest stayers in Flat racing, the plan was for Stradivarius to be sent off to happy retirement at stud following Glorious Goodwood.
But the veteran ran so well at the July meeting – missing out by a neck to the classy Kyprios – that connections decided to continue his retirement campaign into the autumn.
And so the ultimate prize will be a run in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October, and while the multiple-time major winner may enjoy a warm-up run beforehand, it won’t be in the Lonsdale Cup at York.
Stradivarius has been withdrawn from that date with a foot injury, which leaves old rival Trueshan as the standout contender for the two-mile renewal.
That duo will likely contest the Long Distance Cup alongside Kyprios, and when you fire up the horse racing tips for tomorrow ahead of the 15 October showdown you will see that pundits and analysts are split on which of this diverse trio will prevail – Trueshan, at 2/1 with the bookmakers, has just about asserted market favouritism.
STRADIVARIUS is a non-runner in today’s Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup.
Of course, running on the softer ground of the autumn is a whole different ball game to the fast conditions of the summer, and Stradivarius’ connections will be hoping that enables their charge to sign off on a fine career in winning fashion.
Eight Is Great
Generally speaking, horses that run on the Flat are usually put out to pasture well before their eighth birthday – and especially those that have competed at the top level for so long.
But the longer trips can be somewhat more forgiving on the joints, and Stradivarius’ owner Bjorn Nielsen is confident his charge hasn’t ‘lost a few steps’.
And so retirement plans earlier this summer have been put on hold following the encouraging run at Goodwood, with Nielsen adamant on keeping him in training despite defeat to Kyprios in the Goodwood Cup.
“We’re not going to say goodbye after that,” he said. “I think it was a great performance and we’ll go on for at least one more.”
Determining who will take the ride when Stradivarius does return will be a key decision. The horse has shared many of his best days with Frankie Dettori, although the Italian has since been deposed by Andrea Atzeni in the affections of trainer John Gosden, who has embarked upon a ‘sabbatical’ with the 51-year-old.
One possible date for Stradivarius’ return to the track could come in September, with the Doncaster Cup – which he has won on two occasions – a strong possibility. A trip to Longchamp in France, where the horse is yet to win, would be another potential option for Nielsen and his team, although there might be a temptation not to put such an aged horse through the rigmarole of travelling overseas.
Wherever he goes, and whenever he is finally retired, Stradivarius will go with the best wishes of racegoers who he has thrilled on the track for the past five years. But to bow out at Ascot as the best stayer in the game? That would be a truly fitting finale.
