Stradivarius (Ire) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Anthony Van Dyck Denies Stradivarius in the Foy

Coolmore’s 2019 G1 Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was winless in seven starts, six of those attempts coming at the highest level, since registering that Blue Riband success and revelled in his old gusto to outbattle Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a pulsating renewal of Sunday’s G1 Qatar Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp. He lined up as the 19-5 second choice, coming back off a second to Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the June 5 G1 Coronation Cup at Newmarket and a fifth in Royal Ascot’s G2 Hardwicke S. last time, and led a steady tempo for the most part. He looked set to be swamped, but was up for a battle when tackled and headed by Stradivarius off the home turn, reclaiming the initiative with 300 metres remaining and staying on strongly under a continued drive to hold that rival’s renewed effort by short neck.

“We knew there was no early speed in the race and hatched a plan to move forward early,” revealed winning rider Mickael Barzalona. “We jumped off easily and I found myself in front, so I let him find a rhythm and go along bit by bit. I had a bit of trouble getting him to stretch out, but once he sensed the danger of Stradivarius he fought back gamely and found more with every stride. We know Stradivarius makes up ground easily, but sometimes gets caught for a bit of acceleration so I wasn’t too worried. I gave him a breather turning for home before winding him up and I think he enjoyed that. He has every right to a place in the line-up for the Arc as he gets into a good rhythm and just keeps galloping in a straight and true line.”

Owner Bjorn Nielsen has not discounted a tilt the Arc for his star stayer Stradivarius and said, “They have basically walked there and Frankie thought he should have gone in front. The race has turned into a sprint and we were only beaten a neck. To be beaten in such circumstances isn’t too much of a worry and certainly not a disgrace. I don’t know if he will run in the Arc, I need to speak with John [Gosden], but given how that race was run I wouldn’t rule it out. The ground conditions on the day will not play a huge part. He goes better on good ground, but can handle soft if needs be.”

Anthony Van Dyck is the fourth of five foals and one of three winners for G3 Blue Diamond Prelude victress Believe’n’succeed (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), who also produced by G1 Railway S.-winning New Zealand champion sprinter Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) and a yearling filly by Galileo (Ire). His dam, full to MGSW sire Kuroshio (Aus) and the stakes-winning Agulhas (Aus), is a daughter of GI Alabama S. and GI Test S. heroine November Snow (Storm Cat). November Snow is a full-sister to GSW sire Scatmandu from a family featuring GI Carter H. hero Morning Line (Tiznow).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX FOY-G2, €90,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-13, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:33.27, gd.
1–ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE), 129, c, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Believe’N’Succeed (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $157,067), by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
2nd Dam: Arctic Drift, by Gone West
3rd Dam: November Snow, by Storm Cat
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Mickael Barzalona. €51,300. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, MGSW & MG1SP-Ire, GISP-US, 17-6-3-3, $2,107,750. *1/2 to Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), Ch. Sprinter-NZ, G1SW-NZ &, GSW-Aus, $578,367. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stradivarius (Ire), 129, h, 6, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Private Life (Fr), by Bering (GB). (330,000gns RNA Ylg ’15 TATOCT). O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-John Gosden. €19,800.
3–Nagano Gold (GB), 129, h, 6, Sixties Icon (GB)–Never Enough (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). (3,500gns Wlg ’14 TATFOA). O-Syndikat V3J; B-J Knight & E Cantillon (GB); T-Vaclav Luka. €9,450.
Margins: SNK, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.80, 0.60, 17.00.
Also Ran: Skyward (Fr), Way To Paris (GB), Ziyad (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Fourth Goodwood Cup For Super Stradivarius

There was a degree of worry and stress for the connections and abundant fans of Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to endure during Tuesday’s G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, but ultimately it was the familiar outcome as Bjorn Nielsen’s chestnut wrought a fourth victory in this historic prize. Momentarily pinned behind Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) inside the last two furlongs, the 4-7 favourite had to make his own racing room as the last furlong neared but by now there seems very little that he is incapable of. Picking up to overhaul them in the final 100 yards, he again dominated the climax of yet another top staying prize to step closer to immortality. Despite the tense nature of the preceding moments, there was a comfortable air to his length verdict over the long-time leader Nayef Road, while the G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago was unable to capitalise on his 15-pound weight-for-age concession 1 1/4 lengths behind in third. With this latest momentous achievement under his belt, the ever-composed Stradivarius now heads down a very different route with the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the owner-breeder’s and trainer’s sights. “We talked about this a year ago and John [Gosden] said if he stays healthy we’ll train him for the Arc,” Nielsen commented. “There is no [Weatherbys Hamilton £1million] bonus this time and he can have six weeks off now and probably go for the [G2 Prix] Foy three weeks before the Arc. Unfortunately, we won’t have our jockey so we’ll have to find a substitute.”

These staying races are fast regaining their prior glory and there are few who would deny that Stradivarius now sits alongside the revered staying greats such as Sagaro (GB), Ardross (Ire) and Yeats (Ire). Nielsen was typically humble when asked for his opinion. “That’s for other people to decide, but I think he deserves to be in the conversation,” he said. “They are rare horses and it’s amazing that he turned up on my doorstep–there is a lot of luck involved.”

Much water has passed under the bridge since Stradivarius played the role of young upstart when denying the dual Goodwood Cup hero Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) his own landmark in the 2017 edition of this race. Since that first top-level success, which was followed by a third placing in a strong renewal of the G1 St Leger, he has garnered two £1million Weatherbys Hamilton bonuses and dealt with a list of classy performers in this division including Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}), Torcedor (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}) and Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). Like his stable’s leading lady Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), he seems to have an insatiable appetite for prestige events which shows no sign of diminishing.

Sticking to the inside up the straight as the expertly-ridden Nayef Road set down to see off all-comers, Frankie was going best passing two out but was being leaned on by Eagles By Day (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) which kept him a pocket. As Santiago took on the Mark Johnston front-runner, Ballydoyle’s 3-year-old may have been briefly ahead but Silvestre de Sousa conjured more from Nayef Road to re-assert. Stradivarius had meanwhile muscled his way out into the clear and when he needed his trademark acceleration to overwhelm that duo it was as potent as ever.

Just as he had in 2019, Dettori was revelling in completing a high-profile double in less than a week, supplementing the high he experienced on Saturday with Enable. “What a horse. He’s given 15 pounds away, everyone rode to beat me and he still gets out and wins,” he commented. “He’s an amazing horse and well done to Bjorn Nielsen. I go from a superstar mare in Enable to this champion horse in three days. It’s the stuff of dreams. I just had to be patient and when you have good horses the gap will come. I’ve been in that position before and it’s not nice to be there, but we got out.”

“Obviously, I thought the biggest danger was Santiago, so I was trying to get behind him. I thought, with a 15-pound weight spread, he would try to make the most of it and probably make it a true test from four out but it turned into a two-furlong sprint,” he added. “For a minute I was boxed in, but if you want to sprint with Stradivarius you’ve got to be pretty good. For a furlong he took a little bit of organising, then he was amazing–he can put two lengths on any horse in a furlong. It’s amazing for a stayer. I really did not expect the race to turn out like that, only sprinting for two furlongs. He’s so good and so versatile, he can get me out of trouble. I’m still floating from the King George, so I have to pinch myself that this is actually happening. To do it again this year is amazing.”

John Gosden said, “The key thing when you’re tracking a horse like Santiago, who is in receipt of 15 pounds, is not to attack two and a half to three furlongs down and turn it into a real slog. Nayef Road ran a blinder again right beside us and I think it was right to wait. When he hits the front now, he thinks that’s it. It was a great performance under that weight. He has a great heart, is very cool and relaxed. Mr Neilsen and I have discussed it and he will run in the Prix Foy next and then be aimed at the Arc.”

Despite his multitude of accomplishments in this sphere, the winner’s prospects of a successful career at stud remains a sticking point for his owner-breeder. “The demand for him commercially isn’t there, as horses who have won just group one over a mile would command more of a stud fee,” Nielsen said. “That’s just the way it is, the trends and the fashion but hopefully it reverts and people will wake up.”

Stradivarius’s dam Private Life (Fr) (Bering {GB}) had no other offerings after him, but her 70,000gns purchase at the 2006 Tattersalls December Mares Sale has reaped rich dividends. Also responsible for the G3 Bavarian Classic and G3 Furstenberg-Rennen scorer Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and the group-placed Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), she hails from the family of the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and descends from Pawneese (Ire). Horse of the Year in England and champion 3-year-old filly in France in 1976 courtesy of her triumphs in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. and the G1 Prix de Diane, she is also the ancestress of the brilliant Peintre Celebre.

Tuesday, Goodwood, Britain
AL SHAQAB GOODWOOD CUP S.-G1, £250,000, Goodwood, 7-28, 3yo/up, 16fT, 3:35.07, gd.
1–STRADIVARIUS (IRE), 135, h, 6, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Private Life (Fr) (MSP-Fr), by Bering (GB)
2nd Dam: Poughkeepsie (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Pawneese (Ire), by Carvin II
(330,000gns RNA Ylg ’15 TATOCT). O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £141,775. Lifetime Record: 2x Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 14f+, 23-16-2-3, $3,681,261. *1/2 to Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger})), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Ger, $121,198; Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), GSP-UAE, $167,081; and Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}), SP-SAf. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nayef Road (Ire), 135, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Rose Bonheur (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (100,000gns Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-Mohamed Obaida; B-B V Sangster (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £53,750.
3–Santiago (Ire), 120, c, 3, Authorized (Ire)–Wadyhatta (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. £26,900.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, 3. Odds: 0.57, 20.00, 1.88.
Also Ran: Eagles By Day (Ire), Euchen Glen (GB), Spanish Mission, Who Dares Wins (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Stradivarius Lines Up to Defend Goodwood Cup Title

Now that Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) has managed to establish unquestionable dominance over the older stayers, the popular chestnut has a feat of magnitude to pull off on Tuesday if he is to secure a record fourth renewal of the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup. That involves surrendering a 15-pound weight-for-age advantage to a G1 Irish Derby winner in Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who like Bjorn Nielsen’s star did three years ago comes here looking to exploit that anomaly. Weeks before Stradivarius upstaged Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in the 2017 edition, he had garnered the G2 Queen’s Vase and there is a symmetry in the fact that Santiago also captured that Royal Ascot contest en route to the June 27 Curragh Classic. With the long-established weight-for-age scale still generally unchallenged as an accurate measurement of relative maturity, this race will serve as one of the more thorough examinations of its logic and continued relevance in recent times.

Due to the lack of commercial value of these emotive staying races, it is rare that a Derby winner or a 3-year-old with significant class even turns up so the analysis of the effect of weight-for-age is limited. There are early indications that Santiago is set to go down the staying route permanently for a Ballydoyle stable already replete with leading middle-distance 3-year-olds and with the speed to win a mile-and-a-half Classic he is the best of his age to tackle this for a long time. Such a sizeable weight pull is almost debilitating, but there is an argument that Stradivarius still has his limitations unexposed and he is a true great based on his 10-length June 18 G1 Gold Cup romp.

John Gosden is well aware of the stiffness of the task at hand and said, “I think he has probably got one of the biggest challenges of his career. If it was run on Aug. 1 he would be giving Santiago 13 pounds, but because it is run at the end of July he is giving 15 pounds to a horse that won stylishly in the Queen’s Vase and went and won an Irish Derby. That is a big ask for Stradivarius–to give 15lb over two miles. Santiago looked pretty quick on his feet to me around Ascot and I think he will handle the track. We know our fellow handles it. We got 13 pounds from Big Orange when Stradivarius won his first Goodwood Cup, so we benefited that year but now the boot is on the other foot. That two pounds could make a difference over two miles if it is a tight finish, I will tell you.”

Aidan O’Brien has had this race in mind for Santiago since his Curragh success and he commented, “We always thought he might be a Cup horse, so we were very gentle with him last year. We thought the race in Ascot would suit him well. You have to have class to win an Irish Derby, but we always felt two miles would be within his grasp this year. We’ve had to be a bit gentle with him since the Curragh, but everything has gone very well. We just thought this would be a lovely race for him between the Irish Derby and the St Leger. Hopefully we’ll learn a lot about him and the horse will learn a lot as well.”

Preceding the Goodwood Cup is the G2 Qatar Lennox S., in which ‘TDN Rising Star’ Space Blues (Ire) headlines a three-strong Dubawi (Ire) challenge from the Charlie Appleby stable. Having beaten his re-opposing stablemate D’bai (Ire) in the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot at ParisLongchamp June 25, last year’s G1 Prix Jean Prat runner-up and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest third is perfectly poised for this test. D’bai has subsequently won a competitive Haydock conditions race over this seven-furlong trip July 17, while the G2 Hungerford S. and G2 Al Fahidi Fort winner Glorious Journey (GB) makes up a formidable trio for Godolphin.

“Space Blues heads to Goodwood following back-to-back wins and goes there in good shape. We feel that conditions will suit, together with the style of racing at Goodwood,” Appleby said. “Glorious Journey put up solid performances in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. He ran a decent enough race at Goodwood a couple of years ago and conditions should suit him as well. He has a penalty to defy, but this has always been his target. D’bai won at Haydock last time out and heads into this race in good order, although he has to turn around the form with Space Blues from their Longchamp run. He wasn’t beaten far in this race in 2018 and should enjoy the hustle and bustle of it again. Space Blues is the pick of the three on all evidence, but the other two aren’t without chances either.”

Away from the usual suspects, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Pierre Lapin (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}) is worth another chance to prove his comeback flop when last in Royal Ascot’s G1 Commonwealth Cup June 19. Last year’s G2 Mill Reef S. winner is the sole 3-year-old in the line-up and will provide a gauge as to their relative merit in this niche division.

Ballydoyle supply the favourite for the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. in their precious commodity Battleground (War Front), the son of Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who captured the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot June 18. Interestingly, he is still the only winner in Britain from this stable in 2020 despite running the likes of More Beautiful (War Front), Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Hudson River (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “He’s a big, powerful horse with a lovely mind,” Aidan O’Brien commented. “He’s very uncomplicated and mentally very easy–he hasn’t shown any issues yet, either mentally or physically. This will be another step in his life. Goodwood is obviously an unusual track, so hopefully he’ll cope with it and if he doesn’t, hopefully he’ll learn from it. Found was an unbelievable mare–so tough it was incredible. She was one filly who would lay her whole soul out for you every day and always the thing with her was not to let her do too much.”

Heading the opposition to Battleground is Russell Jones’s Devious Company (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who will be providing evidence as to the merit of his July 11 G2 Superlative S. conqueror Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Beaten three lengths by Godolphin’s promising juvenile in that Newmarket staging post also over this seven-furlong trip, he beat all else including Jaber Abdullah’s sixth-placed King Zain (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and trainer Tom Dascombe is hoping he can also make his mark here.

“He beat a lot of other good horses that day and I think Goodwood should be fine for him,” he said. “He has a bit of experience now, having had the three runs. I wouldn’t want to see too much rain, but I’m pretty confident he’d handle most ground. On distances, weights and measures I think we might have the beating of the favourite on form, but obviously Aidan O’Brien’s horses do tend to improve a lot. I think we go there with a good, solid chance and if the O’Brien horse is better than us then he’ll beat us–it’s as simple as that.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Santiago Camp Eyeing Goodwood Cup

G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) could clash with three-times G1 Ascot Gold Cup hero Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in next month’s G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup. Victorious in the 14-furlong G2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, Santiago dropped back to a mile and a half at The Curragh just eight days later and fended off stablemate Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to take the Classic honours.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge is the ante-post favourite for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster in September, but the Ballydoyle handler has raised the possibility of taking on John Gosden’s star stayer Stradivarius over two miles first.

Stradivarius joined an elite band when making it a Gold Cup hat-trick at Royal Ascot and will be bidding for a fourth Goodwood Cup win, having landed his first title as a 3-year-old in 2017.

O’Brien said, “It could be straight to the St Leger, but we have it in our head he could go to Goodwood–we’ll just see how he is between now and then. We’ll give him a week before we have a good chat with the lads (Coolmore), so it will be straight to Doncaster or the two-mile race at Goodwood.

“It will depend on what the lads want, but we’ve always thought he was a horse who would stay very well and he showed that at Ascot. At The Curragh you have to stay very well as well. We had other horses in, so we knew it would be a test.”

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