Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup |
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| Group 2, York 14:25 £150,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 56y, Class 1  |
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1 Stradivarius 4/6F
2 Spanish Mission 15/8
3 The Grand Visir 28/1
4 ran NR: Trueshan Distances: hd, 7l, 13l
Time: 3m 30.87s (slow by 0.57s)
Stradivarius comes out on top in a thrilling duel with Spanish Mission in the Group 2 @WbysHamilton Lonsdale Cup under @FrankieDettori for John & Thady Gosden pic.twitter.com/jUwBcBQVDr https://t.co/CeGFCkBOu4 via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) August 20, 2021
Five other top stayers, including Further Flight and Persian Punch, had won the race twice – and Stradivarius became the first horse to win the race three times with a battling performance under his regular pilot Frankie Dettori.
Spanish Mission and William Buick made the John and Thady Gosden-trained seven-year-old fight all the way and was narrowly in front at one stage, only for Stradivarius to find that little bit extra in the dying strides to win by a head.
The paid had the Group Two stamina test to themselves after The Grand Visir had taken the four-runners into the long straight.
Stradivarius knuckled down when it looked as though Spanish Mission might lower his colours to record his 18th victory.
Dettori and Stradivarius paraded in front of the packed stands and were given a tremendous reception all the way back to the winner’s enclosure, where the jockey gave his trademark flying dismount.
The Italian said: “When we went across the line and they announced the result there was a big roar from the crowd, an explosion.
“I love the horse so much. He’s not getting any younger, it was always going to be a messy race and I was using Richard (Kingscote on The Grand Visir) as a reference point, but when William came I had to go straight for home.
“He only does enough when he hits the front and William wouldn’t go away! He passed me, I passed him back then he passed me again – but I think he knows where the line is as he popped his head out just in time!
“My heart lost a few beats, I’ll be honest, but it was a tremendous horse race and the reception he got was special.”
Gosden senior said: “It was always going to be a fascinating race, Spanish Mission put it up to him and Frankie said he was headed, then he got back and then he was headed again and he got back – it was a proper race for everyone to watch.
“He’s phenomenal, to have won four Goodwood Cups, three Gold Cups, three Lonsdales now, three Yorkshire Cups, a Doncaster Cup – all those miles of racing, never mind miles of training."
Lonsdale Cup
(British Champions Series)
£150,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 88y, Class 1
4 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER
JOCKEY SP
3 (1) Stradivarius 7 9-3 John & Thady Gosden Frankie Dettori 4/6F
2 (5) hd Spanish Mission 5 9-3 Andrew Balding William Buick 15/8
5 (2) 7 The Grand Visir 7 9-3 Ian Williams Richard Kingscote 28/1
4 (4) 13 Stratum 8 9-3 W P Mullins Ryan Moore 11/1
NR 1 (3) Trueshan 5 9-6 3ex Alan King NON RUNNER
