Three-time Gold Cup champion Stradivarius retires after a glittering career

Owner Bjorn Nielsen believes the time is right to retire his three-time Gold Cup winner Stradivarius.

The eight-year-old has been sidelined since missing out on last month’s Lonsdale Cup when a bruised foot forced him to withdraw on the morning of the race in York.

Nielsen reports that it has taken longer than expected to resolve the issue and after consulting with John Gosden, who trains the horse in conjunction with son Thady, he has opted to retire his star stayer at the National Stud.

He told Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast: ‘It took a little longer for him to get over that foot bruise he had when he retired on the morning of the Lonsdale.

“It would be difficult to get him back for Champions Day now and John just thought it was unfair to put him through it again next year as a nine-year-old.

“He’s been the healthiest horse – he’s never been medicated, he’d never missed an assignment in his career (because of an injury) and now to start training him with something that was a bit there that wasn’t there before is it’s time to draw stumps .’

Stradivarius retires as a seven-time Group One winner, including three Gold Cups at Royal Ascot and a record four Goodwood Cup overtimes.

Owner Bjorn Nielsen (L) – pictured with jockey Frankie Dettori (R) – decided to retire the stayer

The son of Sea The Stars had his final career start in the final match, getting in trouble for this year’s Ascot hero Kyprios – a performance Nielsen is happy to end with.

He said: ‘He’s had a fantastic career, he’s never – excuse the pun – set foot wrong. He went out, neck slammed at Goodwood. He ran a great race and finished at the top.

“I didn’t want to see this horse finish fifth or sixth somewhere in a race next year, I’d much rather see him go. Of course I’d love to see him go on for another eight years, but I think it’s time and time for him to see if he can produce something close to himself in the next few years, which I certainly hope he can.

‘He is going to the National Stud and we are really looking forward to that.’

Stradivarius suffered a bruised foot last month and had to withdraw from the Lonsdale Cup

Stradivarius scored the last win of his career at York in May when he took a third Yorkshire Cup, contributing to three Lonsdale Cups at the Knavesmire and two Doncaster Cups.

His career spanned seven seasons and Nielsen thinks fortitude is an important quality Stradivarius can pass on to his posterity.

He added: ‘His solidity has been one of his great strengths. Having a healthy horse is actually half the battle, a horse that you can train and he certainly always has been. His enormous will to win, his presence and he is actually a very fast horse.

His times in the last two or three furlongs on all those big racing days are often the fastest of the day. He runs fast times and has an amazing ability to accelerate so I think all those are traits any breeder would want to breed with. Hopefully he gets the support he deserves.’