‘It has been a fairytale from start to finish’: phenomenal horse retires to stud
Frankie Dettori riding Stradivarius on their way to winning The Gold Cup on at Royal Ascot in June 2020.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Stradivarius, a multiple champion stayer on the Flat, has been retired to stud after a glittering career.
Owned and bred by Bjorn Nielsen and trained by John and Thady Gosden, the chestnut, who won fans from all over the world, was victorious in three Royal Ascot Gold Cups, as well as landing four Goodwood Cups, three Yorkshire Cups and two Doncaster Cups. The eight-year-old scooped £3,458,968 in prize money during his 35-race career, notching 20 wins in the process, seven of which were Group Ones.
Stradivarius was a late absentee in the Lonsdale Cup at York last month owing to a bruised foot, from which he took longer than expected to recover.
Bjorn told the Racing Post Stradivarius had been “trotting and cantering”, but that “his connections felt it would not be fair to ask him to come back as a nine-year-old after his time off”.
“It has been a fairytale from start to finish. Until this setback he had never been medicated and had never missed an engagement through injury.
By Sea The Stars, Stradivarius won plaudits for how he kept returning to the racecourse year in, year out – his career began in October 2016 and concluded with a second place, where he was beaten only a neck, in the Group One Goodwood Cup in July 2022.
“The music has stopped for Stradivarius,” said Bjorn.
John Gosden added: “Stradivarius has been the most extraordinary and unique racehorse throughout his career. He exhibited joy in his training and has given enormous pleasure to everyone, both on and off the track.
“His constitution has been a marvel to behold and his exciting style of travelling easily in a race, and then quickening to pounce, reflected his character. He goes to stud with an amazing race record and enormous affection. To train he has been a complete joy to all of us here. He will remain close to home and is already looking forward to his new career.”
Stradivarius will now stand at stud at the National Stud in Newmarket.
National Stud chief executive Anna Kerr added: “We are delighted to have a racehorse of the calibre of Stradivarius joining the roster at the National Stud. He has consistently demonstrated many of the attributes that his sire Sea The Stars had, including consistency, soundness and a phenomenal temperament.
“The whole team are looking forward to him arriving here in the coming weeks and he will be available for breeders to view at the stud during the December sales.”
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