Dettori in tune with Stradivarius

● Thrilling Gold Cup win for Gosden’s charge is jockey’s 60th at Royal meeting

John Gosden added the Gold Cup to his illustrious CV as Stradivarius claimed an epic renewal of the Ascot feature to provide jockey Frankie Dettori with his 60th winner at the Royal meeting.

Having suffered a surprise defeat with Cracksman in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes 24 hours earlier, the pair were back in the limelight after the four-year-old battled on in tenacious fashion to hold Vazirabad by three-quarters of a length in the Group One prize.

Dettori, who missed the ride on last year’s winner Big Orange through injury, said: “We didn’t go that fast and I wanted to park myself behind Order Of St George. Ryan [Moore, on Order Of St George] was in trouble four out, but I thought it could be deceiving because if I attacked him then, he might battle me out of it.

“As I got rid of him, I could see this grey head [Vazirabad]. He managed to get within a neck and once he couldn’t get past me, I knew my horse was brave and that was it.

“The crowd got behind it. It was mental and I was loving it. To get the three best horses battling it out, you can’t get much better than that. Full credit to the horse – he was brave as a lion.

“I’ve still not got over yesterday and I’m still scratching my head. Cracksman underperformed, but let’s enjoy this moment. It was thrilling to win a Gold Cup in that manner.”

As for Gosden, his sights are set on further big-race glory this season. He said of the 7-4 winner: “He has fought off a very good horse [Order Of St George] and suddenly who comes looming but Christophe Soumillon on the Aga Khan’s Vazirabad. “I thought ‘uh-oh, we are going to get clubbed by the French late on’. Luckily he stuck his neck out and went away.

“It is lovely to win it. I’ve been placed in it, but you have got to have the right horse. He is a dear horse and he is not very big. I didn’t put him in the King George as win, lose or draw, we were going to go back to the Goodwood Cup, but he is in the Arc. The Melbourne Cup is a very attractive idea as well. We’ve got to get to Goodwood, but let’s enjoy today.”

Two-time champion jockey Paul Hanagan is pinning his hopes on a Royal Ascot winner when Sands Of Mali runs in the Commonwealth Cup this afternoon.

Trainer Richard Fahey sent him to France early in the season, where he defied a penalty in a Group Three, and then he just held off the consistent Invincible Army in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

Hanagan said: “I don’t think the distance (a nose) he won last time told the whole result, really. He got a bit lonely in front, but he was always holding on. He showed a good attitude and determination to stick his head out again.

“We are kind of hoping they are going to go quick. He is not the type of horse you can mess about with as he jumps so quick and gets into that big, long stride.

“It was a good Sandy Lane and we’ve always thought a lot of this horse, so we are pretty confident.”