Stradivarius Stars Again in Long Distance Cup

It was the afternoon's longest race, but it was won in the blink of an eyelid. The gap Stradivarius took was tiny, but thanks to an act of unintentional generosity from one superstar jockey to another, it was more than enough.

He so nearly did not run. Even when he did run, he so nearly found himself trapped in a pocket with nowhere to go.

Yet then, as the field for the Oct. 20 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (G2) came off the home bend, Ryan Moore aboard eventual fourth Flag of Honour unexpectedly allowed Frankie Dettori a glimmer of hope that was snatched with glee. From there to the line, the superior talent and tremendous bravery of the Bjorn Nielsen-owned Stradivarius proved more than enough.

Triumphs in the Mansionbet Yorkshire Cup (G2), Gold Cup (G1), Qatar Goodwood Cup (G1), and Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup (G1) earned the star stayer's camp a Weatherbys Hamilton-backed £1 million bonus. A helpful 57 days had passed between the last of those wins and this final assignment, but first testing ground, and then a lack of ground, so nearly scuppered the Stradivarius encore performance.

"After walking the course, Bjorn and I had a long conversation for 15 minutes out on the pavement," said trainer John Gosden. "It was touch-and-go whether we ran him. I said that it's Champions Day, so we should run. I felt that although the ground was too slow for him, it's in pristine condition. I also knew they wouldn't go a great pace and that our problem would be getting out of the box."

However, when Moore moved off the fence, Stradivarius surged forward before holding off Thomas Hobson, who was hampered by the drifting winner close home. Dettori received a three-day suspension but can defer those days and is free to ride at the Breeders' Cup.

"I said he'd need to be Houdini to get out of the box—well, he did," said Gosden. "He saw that glimpse on the bend and dived for it. Then Ryan tried to shut it, but, thank goodness, it was too late. What a clever ride from Frankie. That was jockeyship at its highest level."

The jockey being praised described Stradivarius, a son of Sea The Stars, as "a model of consistency" and added: "I thought, 'If I don't get this gap, I won't get out.' I had half a chance to take it, and I took it. I think he took Ryan by surprise. It was instantaneous—but you can only do that when you have plenty of horse left."

Thomas Hobson's trainer, Willie Mullins, thanked Oisin Murphy for giving the runner-up "a super ride" but also doffed his cap toward the winner.

"We have all of next year to look forward to with him," he said. "Maybe we'll have to avoid Stradivarius, though."

The bad news for the Thomas Hobson team is Stradivarius will be back. The champion of 2018 will be the one to beat in 2019. Among those particularly keen to beat him might be Ryan Moore.