Owner Bjorn Nielsen is convinced that Stradivarius retains the ability and enthusiasm to win an unprecedented fifth Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday – provided that replacement rider Andrea Atzeni can negotiate a clear passage.
The trouble in running which Stradivarius encountered when third in last month's Gold Cup at Royal Ascot has led Nielsen to return to Atzeni, who partnered Stradivarius to his first two Goodwood Cup wins.
Nielsen, who said he is “making headway” promoting Stradivarius as a stallion prospect and concedes that Tuesday's race, which is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, might be his last ever racecourse appearance, believes that Stradivarius has purposely been kept hemmed in on occasions, particularly at Ascot.
However, he hopes it will not be an issue here, where an outstanding field of nine for the £500,000 Group 1 includes the Gold Cup winner Kyprios, last year's Goodwood Cup winner Trueshan, whose participation hinges on the ground, the 2021 Gold Cup second Princess Zoe, and the much improved Coltrane.
Nielsen said: “The way the races have been run, really since October 2018, the tactics have been to put Stradivarius in a pocket, and that's a lot easier to do at Ascot as it's a short straight, whereas at York they can't hem him in as it's a long straight and they come up the middle.
“It happened the last time he won the Goodwood Cup too, as he was held in a pocket there until Frankie got out just in time. That's been the strategy and that's the way it is, but Andrea knows the score. He's ridden him three times and won every time.”
Reflecting on Stradivarius' career, and on the particular significance of the Goodwood Cup, Nielsen added: “When he beat Big Orange for his first Goodwood Cup was when he really announced himself. Winning The Queen's Vase had shown he was a good horse but when he beat the Gold Cup winner the way he did it was a changing of the guard and it was clear to me that day that so long as he stayed sound he was going to be a top, top stayer.
“I couldn't have visualized he would go on as long as he has, but he's been an amazingly sound and charismatic horse. If he could win the race for a fifth time it would be some redemption for what's happened at Ascot the last three times he's run there.
“He hasn't lost any of his ability or enthusiasm and if things had gone the right way at Ascot last month I have no doubt that he could have won another Gold Cup, as when they turned in the others were all being ridden along and he was sitting there with a double handful. I think he could have won on Champions Day last year too, but for not being able to get out.”
As for the possibility of Tuesday marking the end of a truly glorious racecourse career for the seven-time Group 1 winner, who has won a record 16 races in the QIPCO British Champions Series, he said: “It could be his last run, of course, but it depends on his performance now and he seems in really good form. I saw him go up Warren Hill the other day and he's in good nick. He did a bit more I think when Andrea had a sit on him the day afterwards, and everyone was very happy with him.
“I'm just taking it one race at a time and we'll see how it goes. If he gets properly beaten we'd probably call it quits, but he's not shown any signs of that and there's a chance that he'll run again, for sure. He has an entry in the Lonsdale at York, so we are keeping our options open.”
Kyprios will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of his trainer Aidan O'Brien's great stayer Yeats, who is the stable's only Goodwood Cup winner so far, and he still has untapped potential over Cup distances. Yeats only ran here twice, winning easily after his first Gold Cup win in 2006 and just as impressively when returning two years later after the third of his four wins at Royal Ascot.
O'Brien said: “Everything has gone well with Kyprios since the Gold Cup and we are very happy with him. It's a tough race to win and we haven't been successful since Yeats, but he's in good form and we are looking forward to it.”
Trueshan does not enjoy traditional midsummer ground – hence last month's return to Newcastle to race on Tapeta in the Northumberland Plate – so connections will have their fingers crossed that the odd showers which are currently in the forecast for Monday develop into something more significant.
Hollie Doyle has been beaten on the six-year-old only once in eight starts and was on board at Newcastle for one of the greatest handicap performances of modern times. She said: “Alan has said he'd be happy to run if it's good ground, and although it looks unlikely at the moment there is some rain around on Monday so we'll just have to wait and see.
“Last year's Goodwood Cup was excellent for us and he won very decisively. I know the race cut up and he had the soft ground he loves, but he handled the track very well and so if he does run I'll be very much looking forward to getting back on him.
“The Northumberland Plate last time was extraordinary. I know he's a dual Group 1 winner, but Alan had doubts about him giving away all that weight. He's just so tough. It was the first time when I've ridden him that he really had to dig deep to win, as usually he just takes you along and wins very decisively. He really dug deep at Newcastle, and that run will just have put him straight for Goodwood.”
Princess Zoe will be making her first appearance at Goodwood. She was only sixth in last month's Gold Cup, but her best form puts her in the mix. Her defeat of Quickthorn in Ascot's Sagaro Stakes in May (Enemy fifth) has worked out well and confirmed she can handle fast ground.
Coltrane is in the form of his life and by following a narrow success in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot with a 10-length win in a Listed race at Sandown he showed that he is on a steep upward curve and should not be underestimated. His trainer Andrew Balding also saddles Group 3 runner-up Nate The Great.
The field is completed by last year's runner-up Away He Goes, who has not been seen to advantage on either of his starts since, and the former Dante Stakes winner Thunderous, who was second to Stradivarius in the Yorkshire Cup.
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