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Royal Ascot: Is soft ground a problem for Stradivarius?
Posted in: Royal Ascot Tips
Timeform assess Ascot Gold Cup favourite Stradivarius' record with cut in the ground.
Stradivarius has won the last two editions of the Gold Cup and holds outstanding claims on form as he bids to complete a hat-trick only achieved by Sagaro and Yeats.
However, he has proved weak in the betting after Ascot was hit by 15mm of rain and the going eased to soft.
Connections have always maintained that Stradivarius is best on a sound surface as he has a potent turn of foot relative to other stayers. However, it's worth pointing out that the formbook does not back up the view that Stradivarius is unsuited by testing ground.
Stradivarius has raced four times on ground described by Timeform as easier than good.
The first occasion was in the Long Distance Cup in 2017, which the three-year-old Stradivarius contested a month after finishing third in the St Leger. Stradivarius finished third, beaten a length by Order of St George on soft ground, running to within 2 lb of the form he had shown in the St Leger and when winning the Goodwood Cup.
Stradivarius did not tackle an easy surface again until returning to the Long Distance Cup in 2018. He was not at his best in form terms, running 8 lb below the level he had shown in the Gold Cup, but he was still a decisive winner, scoring by a length and half after quickening well off a steady pace, to cap an unbeaten season.
Last year's Gold Cup was contested on ground deemed good to soft by Timeform, and Stradivarius ran out a cosy winner, doing no more than necessary after hitting the front, proving more superior than the one-length winning margin would suggest.
He again faced an easy surface in the Long Distance Cup, but, more significantly, he also faced a high-class rival in Kew Gardens. Stradivarius had built an impressive winning sequence comprising ten races and lasting two years prior to the Long Distance Cup but it came to an end at Ascot. However, Stradivarius was deemed to have run right up to his very best in only going down by a nose to a rival so talented as Kew Gardens.
The formbook shows that soft ground should not be a concern to the supporters of Stradivarius. He has proved himself to be an extremely tough, reliable and versatile stayer.
He is unproven on heavy ground, however, so there would be a question to answer if conditions deteriorate markedly.
The big market move has been for Technician (3/1 from 5/1), who won a Group 1 on heavy ground last season and showed improved form as his stamina was drawn out, so he might benefit if it becomes a real slog.
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