Frankie Dettori’s tough run continues as Stradivarius’ Gold Cup history bid falls short
Frankie #Frankie
This has been a nightmare June for Frankie Dettori and though he has shared some wonderful times with Stradivarius, it might not have been his finest hour as the eight-year-old narrowly failed in his bid to win an record-equalling fourth Gold Cup.
The eight-year-old was beaten by Aidan O’Brien’s favourite, Kyprios, a length-and-a-quarter into third; too close to say that he might not have won had things panned out differently, not far enough to write him off as a has-been no longer capable.
But after Emily Upjohn tripped over coming out of the stall in the Oaks to be beaten a nose and the hood failing to come off Lord North in the previous day’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes it has not been Dettori’s month on John Gosden’s horses.
If that is bad luck, he has accumulated quite a lot of it lately and while Dettori’s seven-timer at Ascot in 1996 showed what the Italian can do on the crest of the confidence wave, this might be more a case of what he cannot do when uncertainty takes over. For goodness’ sake, someone just give him a winner.
If connections were hoping for a repeat of any of Stradivarius’s first three successes in Royal Ascot’s most prestigious race, it was pretty obvious from body language alone afterwards that they felt they got a repeat that was closer to last year’s fourth when Dettori got too far out of his ground.
“Why did you get so far back?” was Gosden’s first question to Dettori on dismounting.
While everyone else had been quickening up, he was already the fly looking for a way out of the spider’s web, having to make his way sideways, crab-like across the apex of the bend, to the outside for a clear run. Once out in the open having gone round the two horses which beat him, he flew but it was too little too late.
The pace was pedestrian for the first two miles so a red light should have lit up on Dettori’s dashboard warning of a potential hazard ahead on the home bend when even the deadwood in the race would still be in vague contention.
Yes, two or three years ago Stradivarius might have picked up the first and second – both Kyprios and the runner-up Mojo Star are half his age – but nowadays old chestnut probably needs to, at least, set off on level terms with them when the sprint for the line begins.
Gosden is far too diplomatic and loyal to cricitise his jockey in public but he came as close to it as he will ever get. “I think there was no real pace,” he said. “ I was a bit surprised from having been in the box-seat that we dropped back so far. The problem is when they sprint, you had to come wide to get a run and he had to come widest of all. He had a chance the last furlong and the race slipped on him.
“Stradivarius is a great horse to get here and to now run in five Gold Cups. He came back in and had a neigh, so he seems happy. Great credit to the horse and the owner/breeder to keep him racing. There are younger horses there that are first and second. I just wish we had been a little handier and not had to go through a wall of horses.”
Explaining how he saw it, Dettori said: “The younger horses had more legs than me at the end. I had every chance to get them, but they were stronger than me. I had to pull out wide and the only place I could go was the outside and everything was getting tight.
“When I’ve pulled him out plenty of times, usually he’s got the electric turn of foot, but he’s not four anymore, he’s eight. I laboured a bit at the end and I was never going to get them. He has been a star. You have to pass on the baton to the younger ones. He did his best and we’re very proud of him.”
To be fair to Dettori even Ryan Moore on Kyprios described it as a messy race. “It wasn’t a nice race to ride,” he said. “I didn’t like the position I was in. I knew I had Frankie on my inside and they were going slow up front. I had to move him to the outside and I don’t like doing that, but I felt I had to keep Kyprios going.
“It wasn’t a true test today. I don’t think we saw the best of him. It was a more complicated race than it should have been. I think Kyprios was much the best.”
The winner was Aidan O’Brien’s eighth Gold Cup winner. He will be back in a year’s time but having run so well without winning there was no immediate decision on the future of Stradivarius.
Royal Ascot 2022 day three – as it happened
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06:36 PM There were high hopes for the Queen today
But unfortunately it ended in disappointment, with both Saga and Reach For The Moon finishing second and Tactical back in seventh in the last race of the day.
It was also another frustrating day for Frankie Dettori who was on board both the royal runners-up and also third with staying superstar Stradivarius.
We will have Marcus Armytage’s full report at the top of this blog shortly but in the meantime you can find full results, video clips of the finishes and post-race reaction below.
Thanks for reading.
06:16 PM Inver Park wins the Buckingham Palace Stakes!
With the Queen’s horse Tactical back in seventh or so.
Ascot 6.10pm result
06:15 PM Mums Tipple leads the way as they approach the 2f post
Tactical still has plenty to do to get involved with the leaders…
06:13 PM Another runner for the Queen in this race
Ryan Moore is on board the Andrew Balding-trained colt. He’s currently around 9/1 in the betting, with Montassib the 3/1 favourite.
06:03 PM Just one more race on today’s card
It’s the Buckingham Palace Stakes over 7f at 6.10pm.
05:46 PM Disappointment for Her Majesty 05:40 PM Reach For The Moon draws alongside Claymore
With 2f to run… but Claymore battles back to win by a couple of lengths!
Disappointment for Her Majesty – and more frustration for Frankie Dettori.
Ascot 5.35pm result
05:38 PM It’s still Claymore with the lead
Reach For The Moon is in second on the outside but remains in close contention as they head towards the final half mile.
05:37 PM Claymore and Reach For The Moon
Vying for the lead in the early stages.
05:37 PM And they’re off!
In the Hampton Court Stakes. Can Frankie Dettori deliver for the Queen on Reach For The Moon?
05:33 PM The runners are heading to post
The Queen’s horse Reach For The Moon is the 4/9 favourite for this one.
05:19 PM Marlborough’s preview of the Hampton Court Stakes
It is very hard to look beyond REACH FOR THE MOON, who has likely been laid out for this race for some time and rates banker material in his bid to give Her Majesty The Queen a timely Royal Ascot winner. Indeed, whilst he is certainly bred to appreciate this step up in trip, further improvement might not be required to score here. In a race lacking a lot of substance for the grade, Kingmax is fancied to outrun his likely long odds: he hails from a couple of formlines that are working out nicely and is taken to chase the selection home.
05:11 PM Another royal runner in the next race
And Reach For The Moon is the odds-on favourite to win the Hampton Court Stakes for the Queen in a six-runner race.
Frankie Dettori will be riding again and desperate to go one better.
05:07 PM Agonisingly close for Her Majesty!
Frankie Dettori blitzed through the field with a stunning late run on Saga but Thesis and Ryan Moore just held on to win it by a head!!
04:56 PM Thirty (30) runners in the Britannia Stakes
Which is due off at 5pm. Frankie Dettori is on board the Queen’s horse Saga which is currently around 14/1 in the betting markets.
Here are the thoughts of our champion tipster Marlborough:
Minefield of a handicap, with many up-and-coming three-year-olds set to clash. KOY KOY’s (NAP) seasonal reappearance was a bit of a mess, in the sense that the ground was too soft for him, he stumbled out of the gate, missed the break and proceeded to race keenly in midfield.
Moreover, he is a big horse who may have found Chester tight enough for him and, all things considered, he might have done very well to finish second. Firm ground, a mile and a straight track can all bring about bundles of improvement in him and he is fancied to go close.
04:48 PM Ryan Moore salutes the crowd
After winning the Gold Cup on Kyprios.
Video: Arrivals on day two of Royal Ascot (Evening Standard)
Arrivals on day two of Royal Ascot
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04:39 PM So it’s not to be for Stradivarius
Who found himself boxed in as they turned for home and had to take the long way round in the final stages just as his rivals put the hammer down.
He couldn’t quite get on terms but it was another fine performance from the stellar eight-year-old nevertheless – although Frankie Dettori might be kicking himself.
Ascot 4.20pm result
04:31 PM The closing stages 04:28 PM Kyprios wins the Gold Cup!
Mojo Star is second and Stradivarius third after being left with just a little bit too much to do in the closing stages.
Frankie Dettori had to switch his mount all the way to the outside as they turned for home and that proved the difference.
Aidan O’Brien wins his eighth(!) Gold Cup!
04:26 PM Earlofthecotswolds continues to lead
Frankie Dettori has just shifted Stradivarius off the rails as they head for the business end…
04:25 PM Stradivarius and the favourite Kyprios
Side by side in midfield as they pass the stands and head towards Swinley Bottom.
04:24 PM They’re off
In the Gold Cup. Two-and-a-half miles ahead of them.
Earlofthecotswolds leads in the early stages from Tashkhan.
04:14 PM A round of applause for Stradivarius
As he entered the parade ring.
04:02 PM Can Stradivarius make history?
The three-time Ascot Gold Cup winner is aiming to join Yeats as just the second horse to win the famous race on four occasions.
Standing in his way is Kyprios, trained, just like Yeats, by Aidan O’Brien. Last year’s runner-up Princess Zoe, Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan and Willie Mullins’ 2020 Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory are also in the field.
Can ‘Strad’ do it? His trainer John Gosden thinks so.
“He’s an old pro now, he goes in the ring, does what he has to do and comes home. He had bad luck with the ground last year. He’s still up to running a huge race in the Gold Cup, as long as the ground isn’t soft or heavy.”
We will find out if he’s right in 20 minutes or so.
03:45 PM Ascot 3.40pm result
03:44 PM It’s a ding-dong battle
Between Magical Lagoon and Sea Silk Road on the run-in… and the Irish raider Magical Lagoon wins it!
At 3.40pm. Both Marcus Armytage and Marlborough fancy Sea Silk Road for this one.
03:10 PM It’s a thrilling finish
And Secret State holds off the fast-finishing Deauville Legend to give William Buick his third win of the week.
Ascot 3.05pm result
03:07 PM We’re under way in the King George V
Secret State, Israr and Franz Strauss prominent in the early stages.
02:57 PM The King George V Stakes
Is our next race – and here are Marlborough’s thoughts on this one:
Fast ground can make all the difference for INVERNESS, whose sole start this term came in the Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, a race that is working out nicely. He had previously beaten the useful Educator in a 1m maiden at Goodwood last year and, with the step up to 1m4f sure to suit, he looks to have plenty more to offer after just three career starts. Deauville Legend has long shaped as one that can prove considerably better than a mark of 89 and looks sure to go close here also.
02:47 PM Confirmed result
From the 2.30pm Norfolk Stakes
02:37 PM Watch: The closing stages of the Norfolk
The klaxon has just rung out at the course so the stewards do fancy a closer look.
02:34 PM AND THEY’RE OFF!
Walbank in the middle of the pack and heads the field as they hit the 1f pole but The Ridler eases past the leader and then veers left and squeezes Brave Nation out of contention.
The Ridler wins at 50/1 going away! One for the stewards you’d imagine as he cut right across the track and impeded a couple of rivals, although he won in impressive style…
02:31 PM The last couple of horses going into the stalls now
This race is over 5f with Walbank the 7/4 favourite.
02:26 PM The horses have arrived at the start
For the Norfolk Stakes, which is due off in just under five minutes.
02:07 PM Our first race of the day
Is the Norfolk Stakes at 2.30pm.
Marcus Armytage is backing Brave Nation to triumph, while our champion tipster Marlborough fancies the favourite Walbank – and here’s why:
It is hard to look past WALBANK, whose second placing on debut came in one of the strongest novices we have seen this season. He duly went one better, and in no uncertain terms too, slamming his rivals to score by a bloodless seven-length margin in a 5f novice at York. Walbank was an expensive breeze-up graduate and looks a potentially top-class juvenile to go with his lofty price tag; he can go one better for his connections who went so close in this race last year with Go Bears Go.
01:50 PM The ITV Racing crew pick their Gold Cup winner
Can Stradivarius equal the great Yeats’ record at 4.20pm?
01:21 PM Fancy a flutter and in need of some tips?
We’ve got you covered with a guide to the third day from our champion tipster Marlborough, which you can read here.
01:04 PM Head-turning millinery
There is plenty of eye-catching headwear on show at Royal Ascot today…
Lisa Tan’s rainbow-inspired hat – EDDIE MULHOLLAND/TELEGRAPH
© EDDIE MULHOLLAND/TELEGRAPH 12:44 PM Confirmed: The Queen will not be at Ascot this afternoon
The Queen will not be at Royal Ascot today as her colt Reach For The Moon goes for gold in the Hampton Court Stakes.
The one-time Derby favourite is a warm order to deliver an Ascot victory in the Platinum Jubilee year and it had been hoped Her Majesty would make her first visit of the meeting to see him run.
However, it has now been confirmed she will not make the trip, with the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence being joined by her daughter Zara Tindall and husband Mike in the first carriage.
The Queen not only has the John and Thady Gosden-trained Reach For The Moon running on Thursday, as Saga contests the Britannia Stakes and Tactical runs in the Buckingham Palace Stakes on the third day of the fixture.
Her Majesty appeared at Royal Ascot just once in 2021, making the trip to watch Reach For The Moon finish second in the Chesham Stakes on the final day of the meeting.
12:32 PM Fascinating choices 
Here’s the racecard for this afternoon:
12:06 PM Good afternoon
Welcome to our live coverage of day three of Royal Ascot 2022.
It’s Ladies Day so we can expect some extravagant sartorial choices in the crowd… while on the course, there are two main storylines to look out for today:
It is a big day for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori – the trainer and jockey for both horses – as they hunt a double which would bring the house down.
Our racing correspondent Marcus Armytage believes Reach For The Moon should prevail, writing: “He only faces five rivals and on ratings – not always a guarantee – he has 6lbs to spare over his next nearest rival, Claymore, maybe more.” Telegraph Sport’s champion tipster Marlborough, meanwhile, describes Gosden’s mount as “banker material… to give Her Majesty The Queen a timely Royal Ascot winner”.
Stradivarius, however, faces a tough test against rivals including Kyprios and Princess Zoe as he bids to join Yeats as a four-time winner of the Gold Cup (although another top-class stayer Trueshan was scratched from the line-up overnight due to concerns over the quick going.
No pressure anyway, Frankie…
When it was put to Dettori on Wednesday that he only had two jobs on Thursday, he replied: “Like I need telling.” He knows what he needs to do but even the world’s most famous jockey will not be devoid of nerves as he tries to execute the safe delivery of that pair of scripts.
We will have build-up to the big races, tips from our experts and live updates throughout the afternoon. Runners for the first race will go to post at 2.30pm.