Super Stradivarius seals Sagaro success on return to action

Simon Milham
April 28, 2021 2:15 pm

Gosden ace shows all class remains intact as a seven-year-old.

Stradivarius returned to action with a smooth success in the Longines Sagaro Stakes at Ascot.

Now a seven-year-old, Bjorn Nielsen’s superstar stayer showed all his old enthusiasm remains intact.

Kept in training in an attempt to emulate Yeats by winning a fourth Gold Cup back at the Royal meeting in June, the Sea The Stars entire cemented his claims as still being very much the one to beat.

Ridden by his old ally Frankie Dettori, he was content to let Stag Horn and Nayef Road set an honest gallop.

A staying supremo! Stradivarius and @FrankieDettori are dominant winners of the Group 3 @LonginesEq Sagaro Stakes for John and Thady Gosden at @Ascot 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ja73PW7Lsi
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 28, 2021

With half a mile to run Dettori had been shuffled to the back of the six-runner field, which meant he had to go from the inside rail to right around the pack just after the turn into the straight.

As Stag Horn dropped away John and Thady Gosden could watch on contently as Dettori was still going sweetly with over a furlong to run on the 4-6 favourite.

His customary turn of foot was in evidence as he went two lengths clear and while he did begin to tire as Ocean Wind and Nayef Road closed in, Dettori did not need to get serious and just kept him up to his work to beat Ocean Wind – who ran well up in class – by a length.

As the chestnut had been well beaten in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and on Champions Day in his final two outings, the Gosdens will have been pleased with what they witnessed and the general reaction from the bookmakers was to cut Stradivarius to 6-4 to win a fourth Gold Cup.