Sea the Stars’s Stradivarius Battles to Long Distance Cup Triumph

[Wandering Eyes]

   Having earned a £1-million bonanza for connections in York’s Aug. 24 G2 Lonsdale Cup, Bjorn Nielsen’s Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was sent to the well once more and concluded a perfect 2018 with victory in Saturday’s G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Settled third along the fence for most of the stamina-sapping test, the even-money favourite benefitted from Frankie Dettori’s cheek when sneaking up the inside of the pacesetting Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) off the home turn and kept on relentlessly under a drive once seizing control soon after to gamely deny Thomas Hobson (GB) (Halling) a passing opportunity. Officials did not call an enquiry, but gave a cursory glance to the end proceedings before confirming a 1 1/2-length verdict with Sir Erec (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) one length adrift in third.

1–STRADIVARIUS (IRE), 133, c, 4, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Private Life (Fr) (MSP-Fr), by Bering (GB)
2nd Dam: Poughkeepsie (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Pawneese (Ire), by Carvin II
(330,000gns RNA Ylg ’15 TATOCT). O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £300,563. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, 14-9-1-2, £1,613,909. *1/2 to Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Ger, $121,198; Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), GSP-Eng, $167,081; and Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}), SP-SAf.

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