Santiago, Stradivarius face off in Goodwood Cup

Since the beginning of his 2018 campaign, Stradivarius has raced 12 times in races at 1 3/4 miles and beyond, his domain as king of the European stayers. He has won 11 of those races, the lone defeat in the sequence coming last fall at Ascot in the British Champions Long Distance Cup, where the Aidan O’Brien-trained 4-year-old Kew Gardens beat him a nose.

Now, in the Group 1 Goodwood Cup on Tuesday at Goodwood Racecourse, a race Stradivarius has won three years in a row, it is the O’Brien-trained 3-year-old Santiago coming for him. Santiago comes off a fine win in the 1 1/2-mile Irish Derby and looked even better at Royal Ascot capturing the 1 3/4-mile Queen’s Vase. He gets a two-mile trip Tuesday for the first time while getting 15 pounds from 6-year-old Stradivarius.

Stradivarius, Frankie Dettori riding for trainer John Gosden and owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen, was cut back to 1 1/2 miles for his 2020 debut, the Coronation Cup, and was beaten five lengths by Ghaiyyath. Connections have floated the 1 1/2-mile Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as a year-end goal for Stradivarius, who comes into Tuesday’s tilt after one of his finest performances, a 10-length victory in the 2 1/2-mile Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. There was pre-race concern over soft ground at Ascot, but Stradivarius powered through the that like it was nothing. Tuesday, we will see if he can do the same thing with 3-year-old Santiago.

* Magical made short work of six overmatched foes Sunday at The Curragh, winning the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup by 2 1/4 lengths over Sir Dragonet. Magical, an odds-on favorite ridden by Wayne Lordan for trainer Aidan O’Brien, won the Tattersalls Gold Cup for the second year in a row.