Stradivarius has that extra something
Gary McKenzie on a classic Stradivarius performance
What a horse Stradivarius must be. Four Goodwood Cups to go with his three Gold Cups and now an Arc bid.
He looked, briefly, as if he was in trouble, but champions have that extra something special.
It wasn’t the tour de force we saw at Ascot but he was still good enough to give an Irish Derby winner 15lbs and a two length beating.
And Nayef Road comes out of the race with credit as he was also ahead of Santiago with the same weight disadvantage. Maybe the extra half mile at Ascot was just too far.
After Ascot I wrote that I thought Battleground put up one of the best juvenile performances of the week. I have to admit that the Chesham is one of my favourite races of the meeting so I am biased.
He’ll do even better
He has now emulated Pinatubo by winning both the Chesham and the Vintage Stakes. I think he is still slightly immature and would have learned a lot yesterday. He is a big lad and I think he will be even better next year.
I picked Safe Voyage in the Lennox Stakes and he got anything but that. Stuck on the rail he was short of room and when he tried to go up the rail Marie’s Diamond closed the door. He would have surely made the frame but whether he would have caught the winner is unlikely.
Can be upgraded
Space Blues is bordering on Group One quality and it is a shame that there are so few top level seven-furlong races as he looks a specialist. The two lengths he won by can be upgraded in my opinion as he did it very easily.
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