BIG ORANGE SQUEEZED OUT
The script was written but Frankie Dettori and Big Orange were upstaged as they attempted to make history in the Goodwood Cup yesterday.
Ironically, on an opening day to the Glorious Goodwood fixture packed with shocks, it was Stradivarius, trained by Dettori’s boss John Gosden, that spoiled the storyline.
he sailed past Big Orange at the furlong pole to deny the 6-4 favourite a third successive win in a race dating back to 1812 and freshly promoted to Group One status.
Big Orange, who tried to make all the running with Dettori plotting a route up the middle of the home straight in search of slightly quicker ground, was beaten a length and threequarters with Desert Skyline, the other three-year-old in the line-up, three and a half lengths back in third.
Nothing else got into it. In any other circumstances, Dettori ( right) might have been expected to have ridden the winner but his friendship with Big Orange’s owner Bill Gredley and affinity with the gelding meant it was Andrea Atzeni who completed an 8,344-1 four-timer, on board Stradivarius.
The only consolation for Dettori and Michael Bell, Big Orange’s trainer, was that it was not a case of the six-year-old gelding fluffing his lines. he was simply unable to concede 13lb to a three-year-old that won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. Clearly on a rapid upward curve of form, Stradivarius is now disputing favouritism at 7- 2 for the St Leger, the season’s final Classic. he looks a fair bet. Bell said: ‘We know Big Orange is better on faster ground but the winner is probably a very good horse. Big Orange pulled well clear of the other older horses. Another three-year-old was third, which shows the weight concession is very tough. Of course it is disappointing but he has run his heart out.’ Stradivarius (6-1) will bid to become Gosden’s fifth winner of the St Leger at Doncaster in September when, no doubt, Dettori will be back on board. Gosden, winning his second Group One in four days after enable’s victory in the King George on Saturday, said: ‘Frankie loves Big Orange and wanted to ride him. he controlled the race but our fellow stayed well.’
The most impressive success of the day was Sir Michael Stoute-trained, Atzeni-ridden expert eye, the four-and-a-halflength winner of the Group Two Vintage Stakes.
A shot at the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October is likely for a colt which looks a potential Classic contender in 2018. expert eye was the 7- 4 favourite but Atzeni’s other winners — David Simcock-trained Breton Rock (50-1) in the Lennox Stakes and Shenanigans (15-1) — were cheered by the bookmakers.
Other surprises on the day included successes for Thechildren’strust ( 100- 1), el Astronaute (33-1) and the Queen’s Bell-trained Fabricate (20-1). Fabricate landed the opening race in the Stewards’ Room when Dark Red was rightly demoted after a lefthand drift caused carnage and cost jockey Oisin Murphy an eight-day careless riding ban.