We rounded off Chester’s Could Pageant final Friday with the stayers grabbing the highlight within the Chester Cup. Once more, this Friday, it’s the gritty, stamina-loving sorts who’re the centre of consideration as York’s three-day Dante Pageant involves a dramatic climax with the Yorkshire Cup.
The celebrated British Champions Sequence contest is raced over an analogous distance to the St Leger at Doncaster, however solely open to horses aged 4 or older. Marco Botti’s Giavellotto returns to the Knavesmire hoping to observe within the legendary hoofsteps of Stradivarius and defend his Yorkshire Cup crown.
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Historical past Of The Yorkshire Cup
The Yorkshire Cup has developed over time because it’s inception within the Nineteen Twenties. When it was first held in 1927 (gained by Templestowe), it was a two-mile handicap occasion and remained as such till the Second World Conflict. The competition wasn’t held throughout the warfare (1940-44) and when it did return it was not a handicap however was staged as a circumstances race (with the weights carried by the runners ruled by the circumstances connected to the race).
1966 could have been a momentous 12 months for English soccer, but it surely was a headline 12 months for the Yorkshire Cup too. That 12 months would see the race distance diminished from 2 miles to it’s present journey of roughly 1 mile 6 furlongs for the primary time.
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Lester Piggott – Saddle King In The North
The 1966 version of the Yorkshire Cup was gained by Aunt Edith, which was Lester Piggott’s second successful journey within the race. The saddle supremo gained his first Yorkshire Cup 5 years earlier aboard Pandofell (1961). The 11-time British champion jockey would go on to win the race a record-breaking eight instances. Frankie Dettori got here inside a whisker of the Piggott whole when claiming a seventh success within the race in 2022. Lester Piggott is the one jockey to win three Yorkshire Cups in a row too. He gained on Noble Saint in 1980 after which had back-to-back victories aboard Henry Cecil’s Ardross in 1981 & 1982. Ardross would stay the one horse to win a number of & consecutive Yorkshire Cups till the Gosden’s Stradivarius (or ‘Strad’ to his quite a few punting friends) arrived on the scene within the late 2010s.
The British Champions Sequence Launches
The Yorkshire Cup’s profile would rise considerably when the QIPCO British Champions Sequence was launched in 2011. It’s now the primary race of the ‘Lengthy Distance’ division every year. The opposite races within the class are as follows: Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Lonsdale Cup (York), Doncaster Cup, St Leger (Doncaster) & the British Champions Lengthy Distance Cup (Ascot).
Whereas there have been quite a few Yorkshire Cup winners on the minimal age of 4 over time, there wasn’t a victorious horse older than 6 till this millennium. John Dunlop’s 2000 St Leger winner Millenary grew to become the king of the Knavesmire in 2004 when successful the Cup by 3 lengths on the age of seven. Sergeant Cecil (2007), Intelligent Cookie (2016) and Stradivarius (2022) have all gained the race as 8-year-olds since then.
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Stradivarius Hits All The Proper Notes
Stradivarius, in these well-known racing silks of Bjorn Nielsen, grew to become the greatest-ever Yorkshire Cup horse in historical past following his three successes within the Group 2 occasion. If it hadn’t been for Covid and the next postponed 2020 race, the Gosden-trained son of Sea The Stars might need tasted additional glory within the prestigious race. Regardless of that disappointment, it was an enormous achievement for ‘Strad’ (and Frankie Dettori) to say a 3rd Yorkshire Cup victory on the age of 8 (2022), three years after his back-to-back successes in 2018 & 2019.
Regardless of an inauspicious begin to his younger racing profession, Stradivarius would start to bloom and blossom throughout his 3-year-old marketing campaign. His first win of word coming within the Queen Vase (over 1 mile 6 furlongs) throughout Royal Ascot 2017. He would observe up and step up in distance when grabbing glory within the Goodwood Cup (over 2 miles) on the ‘Superb’ assembly in August of that 12 months. Andrea Atzeni guided him to victory in each of these races.
Regardless of spirited performances in direction of the tip of the 2017 flat season, Stradivarius would end third in each the St Leger at Doncaster and the British Champions Lengthy Distance Cup at Ascot.
Stradivarius Catches The Successful Bug
Following that third place end within the 2017 Lengthy Distance Cup at Ascot, Stradivarius went on a 10-race successful run. Frankie Dettori was within the saddle for all bar a kind of successes. That gorgeous streak started with a comfy 3-length success within the 2018 Yorkshire Cup the place he went off the 4/6 favorite. He claimed all 5 ‘Lengthy Distance’ class British Champions Sequence contests that he entered in 2018, however none of his performances that 12 months have been emphatic as his Yorkshire Cup one.
Stradivarius picked up the place he left off as a 5-year-old in 2019. Regardless of a tricky closing furlong scrap with Aidan O’Brien’s Southern France, he dug deep to defend his Yorkshire Cup crown by 3/4s of a size. He would develop into solely the second horse in historical past and the primary in virtually 40 years to win a number of Yorkshire Cups. The Gosden marvel horse then repeated his triumphs of the earlier 12 months, successful at Ascot, Goodwood, York (once more). He additionally added the Doncaster Cup to his record of honours in September of that 12 months. Strad’s dream run lastly got here to an finish although at Ascot in October within the Lengthy-Distance Cup. In an exciting end, Aidan O’Brien avenged his Yorkshire Cup loss, with Kew Gardens getting up within the fingers of Donnacha O’Brien to seal victory by a nostril.
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Stradivarius Waits For A Third Shot At Yorkshire Cup Glory
With Covid inflicting havoc to the early a part of the 2020 flat season, Stradivarius wasn’t in a position to go to York looking for a hat-trick of consecutive Yorkshire Cup successes. Strad followers weren’t heartbroken for too lengthy, with the now 6-year-old scorching once more at Ascot and Goodwood, claiming a 3rd straight win within the Ascot Gold Cup and an incredible fourth successive victory within the Goodwood Cup. Nevertheless, they’d be his solely two wins of 2020 and worryingly for some, he would end twelfth of 13 in Ascot’s season-ending Lengthy Distance Cup.
Whereas 2021 wouldn’t be as profitable as different seasons, Stradivarius proved some doubters fallacious successful 3 times as a 7-year-old within the Sagaro Stakes, Lonsdale Cup & Doncaster Cup. Nevertheless, he failed in his try to land a fourth Ascot Gold Cup ending 4th after being hampered on the house bend when seeking to make a problem.
Stradivarius’ Final Hurrah
Some commentators thought Stradivarius was going to go to stud on the finish of 2021, however fortunately for horse racing followers, connections determined to maintain him coaching for one more season. He headed to the Knavesmire for a 3rd crack on the Yorkshire Cup on Could thirteenth 2022, three years after his final victory within the race. His followers weren’t fretting for too lengthy. The now 8-year-old was all the time outstanding and simply required some light persuasion from Frankie Dettori within the residence straight to say a convincing one-length triumph. The one horse ever to document three Yorkshire Cup victories. Stradivarius needed to play second fiddle to Kyprios for the rest of his closing season, ending behind the Aidan O’Brien 4-year-old in each the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup. Stradivarius, what a horse, what reminiscences.
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Yorkshire Cup 2024 – Can Giavellotto Defend His Crown?
Giavellotto is one among six horses lining up for the 2024 renewal of the Yorkshire Cup this Friday. Marco Botti’s 5-year-old pulled off a shock win in final 12 months’s renewal. He’s aiming to develop into solely the third horse ever to win the Group 2 contest greater than as soon as. Nevertheless, the stats don’t make fairly studying for Giavellotto. Other than Stradivarius, six earlier Yorkshire Cup winners since 2000 have run within the race the next 12 months. None of these six managed to even place.
The son of Mastercraftsman additionally appears to be the worst drawn within the No.1 field. Solely 14% of runners drawn 1 within the Yorkshire Cup since 2000 have been positioned within the race. That’s roughly 40% decrease than the 2 stalls with the most effective Yorkshire Cup efficiency stats. 54% of runners drawn in stall 2 and 52% drawn in stall 7 have been positioned since 2000. Oisin Murphy, who’s positioned as soon as (2nd in 2017) in three earlier rides within the race, is on Giavellotto. He’s ridden him as soon as beforehand, when third within the Group 3 Purple Sea Turf Handicap in Riyadh in February.
No different horse within the line-up has raced within the Yorkshire Cup beforehand, however one has gained on the observe earlier than, Al Qareem. He’s returning to York for the primary time since successful a 12-furlong contest again in Could 2022. Karl Burke’s 5-year-old has by no means gained over the 14-furlong distance. Though he did win over 15 furlongs at Longchamp in 2022, the place the going was very sticky.
Can Aidan O’Brien break his Yorkshire Cup Duck?
Amazingly, the Yorkshire Cup is one prize that has to this point eluded legendary Irish coach, Aidan O’Brien. His 4 runners within the occasion since 2000 have completed 2nd (twice), third and 4th. Two of these began the race on the prime of the bookies’ boards. His runner this 12 months, Tower Of London, can be the present favorite to say the Group 2 occasion. He comes into the race following two spectacular wins within the Center East (Meydan and Riyadh).
He has probably the most skilled jockey within the race holding his reins, Ryan Moore. The three-time champion jockey is saddling up for the thirteenth time within the Yorkshire Cup. He’s gained it 4 instances up to now, all of them coming aboard Sir Michael Stoute runners. Tower Of London has an analogous pedigree to the 2019 Yorkshire Cup runner-up, Southern France. He completed a really shut second to Stradivarius. Each horses have Galileo as their sire and Anabaa as their dam’s sire.
The opposite Irish runner within the discipline is Vauban. We final noticed Willie Mullins’ 6-year-old in motion on the Melbourne Cup. He was a disappointing 14th of 23 when the 9/2 favorite. If the previous jumps star, who gained the Triumph Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant in 2022, can return to the shape that noticed him storm to a 7 ½ size victory at Royal Ascot within the 14-furlong Copper Horse Handicap final 12 months, he may very well be in with a shot although. William Buick takes the journey, his ninth within the Yorkshire Cup. He’s gained the race twice with Duncan in 2011 & Spanish Mission in 2021.
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The Gosdens Wanting To Proceed Their Yorkshire Cup Love Affair
The Gosdens, who’ve gained the Yorkshire Cup on 4 events, ship out Gregory. The 4-year-old’s 2023 marketing campaign petered out in direction of the tip of final 12 months. It had began emphatically, together with successful the Queen Vase at Royal Ascot. We’ve not seen him in motion since ending fifth within the St Leger in September.
Final, however not least, Naqeeb, is the present outsider within the discipline. Willie Haggas’ runner made his seasonal reappearance on the Guineas Pageant at Newmarket. He completed third within the Group 2 William Hill Jockey Membership Stakes. Naqeeb did win over 14 furlongs at Haydock final September, however he’s had a bent to float about not too long ago. Jim Crowley could have his work reduce out on prime this Friday afternoon.
The Yorkshire Cup is due off at 15:45 this Friday. It’s one among 5 reside races being screened on ITV from 14:15. All York day 3 races are being proven reside on Racing TV.
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