Gosden wins British Champions Day photo with Star Catcher, loses one with Stradivarius

Thirty-five minutes after losing a photo with Stradivarius in the British Champions Long Distance Cup, trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori won one with Star Catcher in the British Champions Fillies and Mares.

Star Catcher was solidly favored in the Group 1 Fillies and Mares, but not as strong a favorite as odds-on Stradivarius, who had won 10 races in a row dating to a third-place finish in the 2017 Long Distance Cup and easily rates as Europe’s best staying horse. Saturday, though, he was not quite the best as Kew Gardens, seemingly swamped by Stradivarius a furlong from the finish, battled back under Donnacha O’Brien and took down the Long Distance Cup by a nose.

Racing just shy of two miles around an inner course at Ascot usually used for jump racing, Stradivarius traveled decently for Dettori but appeared to lack his typical spark. The Long Distance Cup was one of three races switched from the waterlogged round course at Ascot to the inner, which was rated good to soft and thus seemingly within the scope of Stradivarius, who has mastered a wide range of course conditions.

Indeed, when he moved into position under Dettori about a quarter-mile from the finish, Stradivarius looked like he was on the way to his 11th straight victory, pushing past Kew Gardens and opening perhaps a neck lead, but this time, it was Kew Gardens who better saw out the trip, coming back under O’Brien for a rousing victory.

Aidan O’Brien, Donnacha’s father, trains Kew Gardens for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor. Kew Gardens, by Galileo out of Chelsea Rose, by Desert King, won for the first time in four 2019 starts while visiting the winner’s circle for the first time since capturing the St. Leger Stakes over 14 1/2 furlongs last fall.

It took a brave performance from Star Catcher to win the 1 1/2-mile Fillies and Mares by a nose over pace setting Delphinia, who refused to yield after being headed and just fell short in her upset bid. Sun Maiden came hard outside Delphinia and Star Catcher but it was Star Catcher, racing between horses, who got her head down at the line.

Star Catcher, an Anthony Oppenheimer-owned 3-year-old by Sea the Stars out of Lynwood Chase, by Horse Chestnut, won her third Group 1 in a row, but after leading from start to finish in the Irish Oaks and the Prix Vermeille, she was ridden from a stalking position Saturday in another race run over the makeshift inner course.

Star Catcher’s Gosden-trained stablemate, Oaks at Epsom winner Annapurna, slipped and fell on the way to the start, was deemed sound to run, but faded to 12th.

Donjuan Triumphant upsets Sprint Cup

Donjuan Triumphant posted a major upset in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Cup, beating tough-luck One Master by one length in the six-furlong, straight-course fixture.

Third over soft ground in the 2018 renewal of this race, Donjuan Triumphant nevertheless was a 47-1 chance on the North American toteboard Saturday but stood up best to heavy, testing ground with an assist from One Master’s traffic trouble.

As One Master, bred and owned by Americans Roy and Gretchen Jackson, was trying to get out of a blind switch in mid-pack, Donjuan Triumphant found his way out of his own traffic jam and burst from the pack under Silvestre de Sousa o post the upset. “Burst” is too strong a word, as the heavy going blunted any semblance of brilliance from these sprinters, the winner clocking a pedestrian 1:16.43.

Andrew Balding trains the winner, a 6-year-old horse by Dream Ahead out of Mathuna, by Tagula for King Power Racing. Forever in Dreams finished third while Advertise, co-favored with One Master, checked in seventh.