Stradivarius blows away rivals again

The race for the six categories in the 2019 Cartier Awards – the twoyear-olds come into the fray a little later in the season – is hotting up and there were some significant performances at Goodwood last week.

Stradivarius appears assured of retaining his Stayers’ crown after yet another authoritative display to win the Goodwood Cup, his third consecutive victory in the race.

Battaash was another to win the same race for the third consecutive year when he scorched home in the King George Qatar Stakes, but he remains some way adrift of leading sprinter Blue Point. He will need to win at York – which has proved beyond him for the past two seasons – to have much hope of overhauling the Godolphin horse.

Two impressive top-level victories in under a month catapulted Too Darn Hot to the head of the Horse of the Year Award and he also tops the Three-year-old Colt category. However, a career-ending injury he is thought to have sustained in last week’s Sussex Stakes means neither of the two leaders in the Horse of the Year is able to add to their tally after being retired. Blue Point bowing out after Royal Ascot.

Hermosa established a healthy early lead among the Three-yearold Fillies with her Guineas double but has found life difficult since and proved a major disappointment in the Nassau Stakes, trailing in a distant last of nine behind Japanese mare Deirdre. She still leads but Oaks winners Anapurna and Star Catcher are sure to chase her hard.

Away from Goodwood, Advertise moved up to second in both the Sprinter and Three-year-old Colt standings after winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, his second Group One this year.