Royal Ascot: Stradivarius wins Gold Cup thriller for Frankie Dettori and John Gosden

Watch how less than a length separated the first three home in staying showpiece at Royal Ascot on Thursday plus analysis and in.

Stradivarius claimed victory in a thrilling renewal of the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, the four-year-old was a 7-4 joint-favourite as he stepped up to two and a half miles for the first time in his career.

Torcedor led the field into the home straight ahead of Stradivarius, French challenger Vazirabad and 2016 Gold Cup hero Order Of St George, the other 7-4 joint-favourite, and it was Stradivarius who came home best.

Stradivarius was bidding for his second Royal Ascot success, having won the Queen’s Vase at last year’s meeting.

The four-year-old was beaten a length into third place by Order Of St George in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot last October, but a winning return in last month’s Yorkshire Cup suggested he could be an improved performer this season.

With Order Of St George under a pressure a long way from home on this occasion and eventually finishing fourth, Stradivarius travelled strongly for much of the way and saw out the extra distance well to score by three-quarters of a length.

Vazirabad just beat Torcedor to the runner-up spot by a head.

Gosden said: "It was an extraordinary race. Frankie said they didn't go that quick, and his heels were definitely down early on, which meant the horse was taking him on.

"Frankie got himself out of a pocket, which was essential with the pacemaker coming back, and got himself in the perfect position. But as usual, Mr Soumillon was waiting like all good Frenchman to pounce late and frustrate us.

"What an exciting finish that was - and look at the line-up as they headed to the line. That's a pretty smart front four.

"It was a fascinating tactical race, because if Frankie had gone too soon there was the danger that Vazirabad would nail him - if he had committed to kill off a rival at the furlong pole the French could have come along to collect the prize so he had to be careful of that."

Stradivarius had not run the stamina-testing trip of two and a half miles, although he had won the Goodwood Cup last year over two miles, as well as being placed in the St Leger. Fears about his stamina for the Gold Cup began to evaporate inside the final furlong as he ran to the line tenaciously.

Gosden said: "He did see it out and he was going away at the finish. He's a proper little staying horse that we call Mighty Mouse because he's not very big - he looks a bit like a mini Trigger with his four white feet, but he is a gorgeous horse. He's done it really, really well, and loves this ground as he can flick off it and quicken well.

"It's lovely to win the Gold Cup - I've had horses placed in it a few times."

Stradivarius is a son of the great racehorse Sea The Stars, and Gosden said: "Mr Nielsen has bred horses for years, but it's interesting, you try to breed a Derby winner and end up with a Gold Cup winner."

Stradivarius is now on track to land the W H Stayers' Million, a £1m bonus designed to encourage breeders and owners to produce and/or buy staying horses. He won one of four designated prep races in May and now needs to win the G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup and York's Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Stakes to land the prize.

Gosden said: "He will go back to Goodwood next - he won the race last year - and then try for the Lonsdale Stakes. I've heard the bonus is well insured."

Dettori said: "Stradivarius was a lion. He fought everything off; Order Of St George, Vazirabad. I wanted to time it right and at the end he took off.

"The Gold Cup is the highlight of the week and to win it again is amazing, especially as it's my first one for John Gosden and team, who have been fabulous behind the scenes.

"Obviously, I wanted to park myself behind Order Of St George. Ryan was in trouble four furlongs out but I thought, 'well, that can be deceiving and if I attack him now he could batter me back out of it', so I waited until the straight, I waited past the two-furlong pole and thought, 'right, now I can get him'.

"As I got rid of him, I saw the grey head (of Vazirabad) and I thought, 'oh shit'. And then he managed to get within a neck and once he couldn't get past me, I knew my horse was very brave. And that was it, I knew I had won the Gold Cup then.

"The crowd were behind it - It was mental really. I was loving it. To get the three best horses in the final furlong battling it out, you can't ask for more than that. Full credit to the horse, he was brave as a lion. And well done to John - his first Gold Cup. And my 60th! And I'm only 47."

He added: "I still haven't got over yesterday (defeat on Cracksman in the Prince of Wales's Stakes); I'm still scratching my head. We know he underperformed, but let's enjoy this moment here."

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre was magnanimous in defeat following Vaziribad's defeat. He said: "When Vazirabad got to the front, he stopped. He doesn't like to be in front too long.

"He was touched two or three times by the winner and after that, he refused to give the maximum. He can have a long career as he only does the minimum.

"Christophe rode him well and he couldn't have waited any longer. I'm very pleased with the run. We might look at something like the Goodwood Cup."

Jessica Harrington's Torcedor led into in the home straight and kept on well to finish third, a head behind Varizabad.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup winning-trainer commented: "Torcedor has run a brilliant race. He saw the trip out very well today and kept on finding all the way to the line.

"He goes on that ground, but on soft ground, he probably goes on it better than other horses. He goes just as well as other horses on fast ground, but I think he does like softer conditions.

"It was a great performance and hopefully we'll bring him back again next year."

2016 Gold Cup winner Order Of St George was being pushed along by Ryan Moore a long way from home and despite being in contention in the home straight, he was run out of things in the final furlong to finish only fourth.

Derrick Smith, part owner of Order Of St George, said: "We are happy enough. He just didn't pick up when Ryan wanted him too." Moore, added: "He ran well."