Stradivarius boosts Gold Cup hopes

Stradivarius has boosted his chances of challenging for the Gold Cup at Ascot after winning the Yorkshire Cup.

The four-year-old returned from a 209-day break to claim victory in York courtesy of a late break to the post.

Frankie Dettori timed the attack perfectly on John Gosden's charge to leave Desert Skyline and Call To Mind trailing in second and third respectively.

Stradivarius has subsequently attracted a lot of attention ahead of the Gold Cup at Ascot on June 21, and Dettori was not sparing in his praise.

Dettori said: “He's a star – it's very rare you get a stayer with a turn of foot, but that is what he has got.

“It's a deadly combination. It is a great weapon to have over this distance and he's a force to be reckoned with now.”

“He is the young pretender in the Gold Cup, with fresh legs, and he's on the way up.”