Stradivarius Targets Fourth Goodwood Cup Victory

Just three days after Enable cemented her legacy as the first three-time winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1), racing's record breakers roll into Goodwood July 28 attempting to secure another slice of history with star stayer Stradivarius.

It was impossible to miss the weight of expectation on the shoulders of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori at Ascot on Saturday but, having successfully masterminded Enable's historic King George win, they find themselves front and center once more as Stradivarius, the horse affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse" at his home in Newmarket, chases an unprecedented fourth win in the Al Shaqab-backed Goodwood Cup (G1).

Like Enable, Stradivarius is the sort of horse who comes around once in a lifetime if you are extremely lucky. The fact they are neighbors at Clarehaven Stables speaks volumes to Gosden's standing as the dominant trainer in British racing at present.

Small in stature, Stradivarius would give Dettori a run for his money when it comes to the size of his personality. His trainer often alludes to the fact that the son of Sea The Stars knows how good he is and, with a record as imperious as his, who are we to argue?

Owned and bred by Bjorn Nielsen, Stradivarius boasts 15 wins from 22 starts, including six at the highest level. He also went on a memorable 10-race unbeaten run which lasted 17 months, yet it has been his dominance in cup races that has been his pièce de résistance.

As well as his trio of Goodwood Cups, he has conquered the Gold Cup (G1) at Ascot three times, boasts two wins apiece in both the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale (G2) and Yorkshire Cups (G2) at York, and collected the Magners Rose Doncaster (G2) and QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cups (G2) along the way.

The shortest of those races is the Yorkshire Cup over 10 furlongs, while the longest is the Gold Cup at 2 1/2 miles. Each has the capacity to be as grueling as the last, but they never appear to faze Stradivarius. He has a panache rarely associated with the staying division and a constitution that becomes more resilient with each battle.

Having a stayer who is so dominant has sometimes made it hard to offer up a challenger capable of putting up a credible fight, which is why his bid to edge ahead of the much-loved Double Trigger as the only four-time winner of the Goodwood Cup could be one of his most fascinating bouts yet.

Indeed, Gosden himself—suffering no apparent King George hangover at Ascot on Sunday—described the race as "one of the biggest challenges of Stradivarius' career."

A young buck on the staying scene has clearly not gone unnoticed by Gosden, who is full of respect for Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) winner Santiago, who takes on his elders for the first time.

While he has some way to go, there is more than just a hint of Stradivarius about the way Santiago has emerged from a high-quality pack of 3-year-olds at Ballydoyle.

Just like Stradivarius did in 2017, Santiago landed the Queen's Vase (G2) at Royal Ascot in June and just eight days later displayed rare tenacity to land the Irish Derby. Now he bids to do exactly what his big-race rival did as a 3-year-old and make the most of a hefty weight concession against his seniors at Goodwood. 

When Stradivarius landed his first Goodwood Cup four years ago, he received 13 pounds from the tough-as-nails Big Orange. The boot is well and truly on the other foot this time and, because the race falls before a two-pound reduction in the weight-for-age scale Aug. 1, he is tasked with giving 15 pounds—more than a stone—to Santiago.    

Asked how significant that may prove, Gosden said: "Over two miles, the extra two pounds could make a difference."

Victory aboard Enable meant Dettori joined Lester Piggott as the winning-most rider of the King George, and another Goodwood Cup would again see him match Piggott among the jockeys to have won the race a record five times. That would be another high-ranking achievement for racing's greatest showman, although one that will have to play second fiddle should Stradivarius create his own piece of turf history.   

Away from the feature race on Day 1 of Goodwood's five-day summer showpiece, Chesham Stakes winner Battleground will start a warm favorite for the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (G2) for the Santiago team of Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore, while the seven-furlong specialists have their chance to shine in the Qatar Lennox Stakes (G2). 

After Monday's pipe-opener, Day 2 of the seven-day Galway festival picks up the baton from Goodwood and runs into the evening, with the listed Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes and the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap among the familiar highlights from Ballybrit.

So from Goodwood to Galway and Stradivarius to Santiago, there is much to look forward to on what could be another historic day.