Stradivarius takes the Qatar Goodwood Cup

Stradivarius, with a 13lb weight allowance from the older horses, wins the Group One Qatar Goodwood Cup for trainer John Gosden and owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen.

Trainer John Gosden said: "Frankie controlled the race on Big Orange, he came up the middle, he didn't want to be attacked hard down the rail. It was clever of him, but our fella stays well.

"Andrea was very confident beforehand, I asked him if that was because he got in a muddle in the first and got the next two right?!  He said no!"

But it is full marks to Peter Shoemark, our racing office manager, he was the one who suggested the entry to me, I said are you mad?

"But I thought about it and thought hang on, actually he has to give weight with the Group Two penalty from the Queen's Vase win, and running in anything else such as the Voltigier or a handicap he's have the penalty. So, I thought you're right to come here and this is Peter's victory not mine.

"I did say good luck to everyone going in, Big Orange has got a huge heart and has run with credit again, but he was running into a three-year-old now and not the older horses, who is getting 13lb from him.

"He goes straight to Donnie, goes there nice and fresh."

Winning Jockey Andrea Atzeni was beginning to make the Qatar Goodwood Festival his own after bringing up a stakes-race treble on the opening day. 

After wins on Expert Eye and Breton Rock in Group Two contests, he went a stage further by landing the G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup on three-year-old Stradivarius. Victory on the 6/1 shot meant the treble rewarded punters, who were lucky enough to back it, at odds of 981/1.

Michael Bell, trainer of the 6/4 favourite Big Orange, said after the race: "Interestingly enough, the weight-for-age scale has been altered this year and it is slightly less than it would have been this time last year, so give the winner a lot of credit.

"I am very proud with how Big Orange ran. He laid it down there, looked like winning and then the three-year-old came and got him. He has run his heart out on ground that is softer than ideal for him. Had it been rattling firm or summer fast ground, who knows? We are talking hypothetically.

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