Sky Sports Writers Mick Fitzgerald delivers his verdict about the players at Saturdays Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup .
A race that was and was known as the Jockey Club Cup run in its guise as the Extended Distance Cup in 2011.
Fame And Glory was the first winner when Order Of St George chose the decoration in 32, when flourishing under trainer Aidan OBrien and Jamie Spencer acquired it for a period.
Irish trainers have mastered the racewith Dermot Weld also gaining two successes with Rite Of Passage (2012) and Forgotten Rules (2014) and sandwiched between these successes Johnny Murtagh added his name to the roll of honour with Royal Diamond.
John Gosden is another to bag a brace with Flying Officer (2015) and also Stradivarius (2018) and the winners board is completed by Sheikhzayedroad who had been powerful for David Simcock (2016).
Astonishingly, no horse has won the race twice and Stradivarius, winner of the last 10 starts, fulfilled with his defeat when third to Order.
Any horse that wins in the Royal assembly and comes with Ascot form that is great needs to be admired when winning the Queen Alexandra Stakes and this horse looked good. Hes maintained by Dee Ex Bee about running in France and he does not strike you as anyone who wants the ground this soft. He was next at Salisbury but that has been away from a mark of 90.
You merely battle a bit with Kew Gardens because I had been there at Chester when he ran at the Ormonde Stakes and there was no doubt Morando whos a beaten him and he would come on to the run. I think you need to place that race down to him not being match but it really is his series and he has no excuses here.
After a good run when finishing second from the Coronation in Epsom it was unsatisfactory too see him finish second in the Irish St Leger but afterward he was giving 12lb to a rapidly improving filly in Hunt For A Song, who was given a dazzling ride by Chris Hayes.
Back with this floor Kew Gardens in the prices is that the horse which could take advantage of any openings from Stradivarius.
Should you have a look at his shape on the face of it, he is not good enough, but then you watch that race he won at Haydock on quite terrible ground and suddenly you think he is not without a chance. The horses two races are around that and heavy ground may count for a whole good deal.
Sir Michael Stoute knows a thing or two about this match and the fact he is ready to pitch him here needs to be carried on board.
Every time hes run on ground although he was next to Dee Ex Bee at Sandown earlier in this summer he has been successful. Some of them deal than many others and he falls into that category.
Hes obviously a stablemate of Stradivarius and that he looked good after winning the November Handicap year on earth off a marker of 105. He is horse thats been kept as a five-year-old in training and hes won on heavy in Haydock as a three-year-old which is a 33,, if you look at his kind.
He hasnt been over-raced this season, which will be his run, so that he comes here more economical than lots of these.
You may need to ask whether he would remain the trip, however he went easily he could enjoy stepping around two kilometers and that he never went to get beat at any stages.
The Coolmore team has had been unsatisfactory supporting Stradivarius in Goodwood but had previously been a fantastic winner at the Royal assembly and always well-regarded him. He failed to beat Constantinople in the King George V Handicap, however hes a bit to find to create an impression in this race. If he had been good enough Youd be surprised.
This horse is a winning system and incredibly hes won the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers bonus for another year in Lonsdale Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and the Yorkshire Cup. He looks bombproof and it is only a matter of Gosden giving him the go ahead morning after strolling the trail Saturday.
Two years ago, when this horse was a three-year-old had been the last time this horse had been beat and the choice to switch to the internal track on less analyzing going could make life a bit easier for Stradivarius, that won that past year on soft earth.
So far as ability goes and its remainder, hes only a system that is winning. He has won on a couple of occasions this year including when only winning a throat and when just winning a length at the Gold Cup, but did think he was at risk of defeat?
He brings a few handicap form into the race. Having won the Northumberland Plate very from Prince Of Arran he moved to Australia although he had been somewhat disappointing but has come back better than ever this year.
He won on his reappearance at Newbury and his blood will end up after beating School six lengths in a listed race at Newmarket last moment.
I believe he is extremely interesting and he comes here a relatively lightly-raced horse with just three outings this season.
You wish to observe winners and it is known as British Champions Day for a reason and its rather safe to say that STRADIVARIUS is the winner of the stayers division. The race is going to be conducted on the track so hell win but if it had run onto the outer track where itd be more testing it would have given a opportunity to the others. I think Withhold and also Kew Gardens can make up for those areas.
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