Stradivarius wins £1m bonus as Frankie Dettori rides four-year-old to Lonsdale Cup victory in York to complete historic four-race feat
Race favourite was made to work in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes before coming through for the win
STRADIVARIUS earned himself the title of the £1m horse as he completed an unprecedented four-race winning sequence at York to scoop the bumper bonus for his owner and team.
The odds-on favourite was ridden to a hard-fought victory at the Lonsdale Cup by Italian Frankie Dettori, who in the process earned owner Bjorn Nielsen a remarkable pay day.
No horse had previously won the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup in the same season.
But after coming into Friday’s race with a perfect three from three record, excitement was building that Stradivarius could be the one to break the record and scoop the Weatherbys Hamilton bonus.
Led out by Petitioner - also owned by Nielsen - Dettori waited patiently as the race unfolded before making the crucial move on the home straight just as it looked like his horse would be squeezed out.
With the finishing post coming into view, Stradivarius pulled ahead of Count Octave at just the right time to take the win with Desert Skyline third.
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The victory was Dettori’s 21st win of the season while Nielsen was also celebrating in the paddock as his jockey did his trademark flying dismount.
Dettori said: “I ran into a pocket although I didn’t have too much ground to make up. I thought just get him near the rail so he would have something to focus on.
“He laboured today. He’s had a very hard season. Sometimes it can take its toll. His class and his courage got him through, he got the the job done.
“I’ve rode him when he’s in good form although today wasn’t one of his best performances.”
Nielsen will receive 70 per cent of the £1m jackpot with the remaining 30 per cent divided equally between trainer John Gosden, stable staff, breeder and jockey.