A Stradivarius Victory Could Lift the Roof at the Knavesmire

​There is clearly a lot of excitement surrounding this week’s York Ebor Festival. Crowds have been flocking back to racecourses for a while now, but the four-day event at the Knavesmire is the first truly blue-chip festival to take place with crowds allowed back as normal. A successful festival is important. Not just for the organisers at York, but for every level of British racing, including Point to Point racing.

And while there is plenty of buzz around the festival, which has been lifted by news of £4.7 million in prize money (more than double last year’s amount), there have been a few hiccups. Most notably, the withdrawal of St Mark’s Basilica from the festival’s flagship race, the Juddmonte International Stakes. That takes a lot of star power away from the Knavesmire this week, as the Aidan O’Brien trained 3-year-old is currently rated as the joint-best racehorse on the planet.

Stradivarius goes for third Lonsdale Cup

Nevertheless, the four-day event is about much more than one horse and one race, and even those with a casual interest in flat racing will see a familiar name on the racecards and tips for Day 3 of the Ebor Festival – Stradivarius. The 7-year-old record-breaker is the favourite for the Lonsdale Cup, and it would surely take the roof off the place if Staradvarius can take at least one more big win in front of a full house as he winds down one of the most storied careers in modern racing.

Stradivarius, who is trained by John Gosden, has basically done it all as a stayer, and then some. Three Ascot Gold Cups, four Goodwood Cups, and a three-time Cartier Champions Stayer are among some of the accolades. Frankie Dettori usually rides  (and will on Friday), and the wily jockey will know that a record third Lonsdale Cup on Stradivarius is within his sights. Dettori will make his own bit of history with a win, becoming the first jockey to win the Lonsdale Cup six times (he is currently tied with Pat Eddery on five).

Dettori a big factor in the betting

Dettori clearly loves riding at the Knavesmire (his list of big wins at the Ebor Festival is too long to print here), and bookmakers reported to the Racing Post pre-festival that the Italian legend is a big factor in the betting patterns. Put him together with a big name like Stradivarius, and you can appreciate why bookmakers will be losing some sleep on Thursday night.

On the downside, it feels more and more likely that we will not see Stradivarius take on Trueshan, the horse that now holds Stradivarius’ Goodwood Cup crown. Trueshan’s trainer, Alan King, clearly prefers testing conditions for the horse, and the going is likely to be good on Friday. Nonetheless, Stradivarius would represent a hugely popular winner regardless of who he lines up beside at 2.25 on Day 3 of the festival. 

Despite his favourite status, it’s no given that Stradivarius will take that record-breaking third Lonsdale Cup. His powers have perhaps waned somewhat over the last year, exemplified by a 4th place finish in the Ascot Gold Cup in mid-June. However, Dettori claimed that Stradivarius was denied a clear run on the home bend in that race, which ultimately went to Subjectivist.
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He has been called the “rarest of horses”, and we might see him again in the Ascot Gold Cup next year. But then again, given his age, we might not. This week could be one of the last opportunities for the crowds to see one of the modern greats in action – they should relish the chance to see Stradivarius try to break yet another record. 


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