Horse Racing: Dettori ban a low note as Stradivarius hits new heights

Frankie Dettori received a three-day riding ban but it was not enough to dampen his celebrations after guiding Stradivarius to a fifth consecutive win in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot.

The Stewards deemed Dettori had caused interference in closing a gap on Thomas Hobson, yet many would argue it was an inspired ride as Stradivarius followed up his wins in the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Gold Cup and Lonsdale Cup – which earned connections a cool £1 million bonus.

This was the softest ground he had encountered all season and John Gosden’s money-spinner was sent off at Evens favourite as a result when his form suggested he should be long odds-on.

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The uneven pace of the race worked against him as well, but under a cool ride, Dettori nipped into a gap up the rail as main market rival Flag Of Honour and Ryan Moore veered wide off the home turn.

Thomas Hobson was left with little room, however, as Stradivarius came across him into the straight, but it appeared to make little impact on the result, as Dettori’s mount took the spoils by a length-and-a-half.

Dettori said: “I had half a chance and took it, but you can only do that when you have plenty of horse.

“He’s been a model of consistency and owns the crown of being champion stayer – you can’t take it away from him.

“He’s all heart, this horse.”

Gosden was full of praise for Dettori and said: “I said ‘the ground is one thing, but we are going to get put in a box drawn in stall one – and he will have to be Houdini to get out of it’ – but he did. He saw that glimpse on the bend and dived for it.”

The trainer added: “He is a fabulous horse that didn’t like the ground, Frankie said.

“What a clever ride. We committed sooner than we wanted on ground we didn’t like, but we did a bit of a hack canter. I wouldn’t have brought him here if he wasn’t in great order.

“(Owner) Bjorn (Nielsen) and I had a long conversation out on the pavement for 15 minutes after I walked the course, and it was touch and go whether we ran him. I said ‘it’s Champions Day, and we should run’.

“Full marks to the jockey and horse for being brave enough to go through the gap.

“We don’t run until next May for either the Sagaro or Yorkshire Cup.”