Trueshan, Stradivarius Wheel Back in Long Distance Cup

The starting prices returned by winners of the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (G2) since it took on this form in 2011 may not immediately catch the eye. There were a couple of short-priced winners, three at double-figure odds, but mostly horses at the sort of odds most punters would regard as findable.

Within the stayers' division, this race is a graveyard of champions. Stradivarius  was beaten at 8-13 and 11-10, while Order of St George  was turned over at 4-6 in 2016. The race is yet to have a multiple winner under its current name, despite the tendency in the division to have room for only one top-class performer at a time.

Prevailing wisdom would have it that the race is one of those Bermuda Triangle formlines on bad ground at the tail end of the season. That overstates the ground that tends to prevail on British Champions Day. While six of the 10 have been on soft or heavy going, two were on good, and a further two on good to soft, which is how Ascot's ground is described at the time of writing.

The end-of-season theory holds a little more weight and while you might assume that would favor Trueshan , who was seemingly forever being pulled out of races this year, in fact Stradivarius has run only once more in 2021.

What is fairly unique is that they both ran just a fortnight ago, in the Qatar Prix du Cadran (G1) that Trueshan won emphatically. If ever recovery was going to be a shock-inducing issue in the Long Distance Cup, it is now.

The competition has ground to make up but is not exactly leagues behind. Baron Samedi  and Princess Zoe  (once weight-for-sex is factored in) have form that is up to the 10-year-average of winners in this race. The latter traveled as well as the big two in the Cadran but sputtered on her first run since August.

If freshness is a concern, Hamish  must go near the top of the shortlist with only two runs since being beaten a neck by Trueshan almost two years ago. He took down Hukum  last time, who had excuses, but it remains likely we are yet to see the best of Hamish.

Another Tune From Stradivarius?

A fifth consecutive appearance on Champions Day by Stradivarius must be some sort of record but it looked unlikely in the immediate aftermath of his defeat by Trueshan in the Cadran at Longchamp a fortnight ago.

With the Gosden talisman not in love with the soft ground that day and Frankie Dettori easy enough on him in the straight, the decision was taken to let the three-time Ascot Gold Cup (G1) winner bid to match his previous victory in 2018.

Joint-trainer John Gosden said: "I'll be walking the course on Friday afternoon but I'm very hopeful Stradivarius will be running and I'm sure everyone wants to see him. He's won three out of five races this year and on the two occasions he was beaten, once it was because of the wrong tactics (Ascot Gold Cup) and the other by the Longchamp ground. He's been in good form this year and he's taken the race well considering it was only two weeks ago."

Doyle Back Aboard Trueshan

Hollie Doyle is back on Trueshan after a ban kept her from the ride in the Cadran, when James Doyle stepped in to guide the 5-year-old to victory. 

Last year's runaway winner previously won the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (G1) in the hands of Doyle, when Stradivarius was a late absentee owing to the soft ground.

There are concerns the going might not be as testing as Trueshan would prefer after the unusually dry run up to the meeting, but Doyle is hopeful of another good show.

She said: "It's great to be back on him as it was a bit frustrating watching him win in France whilst I was banned. He won this race by a long way last year and if the French race hasn't left its mark he should be very competitive again."

Trainer Alan King said: "Two weeks isn't ideal and I would prefer another week but we haven't got that. I'd run him on good ground and I can't see it getting any quicker than that. Everyone's happy with him and it's his last run of the season, so if it does come too quick he's got all winter to get over it."