Priestley the pick in Goodwood Cup race

Sir Ron Priestley can foil Stradivarius as John and Thady Gosden’s mighty stayer bids for yet another remarkable piece of racing history in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup tomorrow.

Stradivarius, a three-time Gold Cup winner at Royal Ascot, already stands alone in the roll of honour for Goodwood’s showpiece race – having won here in each of the last four years.

He will be a short-priced favourite to do so again on the opening day of the famous meeting – but in Sir Ron Priestley, he faces a back-toform rival who is two years younger and with potential to improve further if seeing out the trip on his first attempt at two miles.

Mark Johnston’s 2019 St Leger runner-up would doubtless not have been in opposition at all this week, had his brilliant stablemate Subjectivist – Stradivarius’ Gold Cup conqueror at Ascot last month – not sadly met with a setback which has ended his season.

Sir Ron Priestley was a five-time winner at up to Group Three level two years ago, before finding only the then imperious Logician too good at Doncaster.

A half-brother to Subjectivist, the son of Australia had to miss 2020 because of injury but resumed winning ways immediately on his return this season with back-toback Listed and Group Two wins in April and May.

He then confounded his trainer, however, with a performance which still has Johnston scratching his head – producing a tame finish and failing to justify favouritism when only third in the Yorkshire Cup. A drop back from that 14 furlongs to a mile and a half did not bring about a revival, as Sir Ron Priestley again faded on rain-softened ground in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

On that basis, he would be a long shot here – but since then he has produced a strong staying performance to get the better of the well-touted Al Aasy in a 12-furlong Group Two at Newmarket.

The return to a lively surface appeared to be key, and ties in with plenty of previous racecourse evidence on Sir Ron Priestley’s prolific CV.

This move up to an outand-out stayer’s trip was hardly Plan A for the Johnston camp – but he was supplemented to take part in his sibling’s absence and, on forecast ground which will be ideal, he too may just be able to take the measure of Stradivarius. The latter is an undisputed all-time great but has won just one of his last five races since outdoing Johnston’s Nayef Road here 12 months ago.

Stradivarius did not get the clearest run at Ascot last month, but had no answer to Subjectivist – and could be vulnerable to younger legs again.