Lonsdale Cup Guide 2021

The seven year old has been the poster boy for the UK staying division for the last four seasons landing 10 races in a row including winning a Weatherbys-sponsored £1million bonus in the last two seasons after landing the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup at York.

As mentioned, Stradivarius lost his unbeaten record that stretched back to May 2018, when being pipped in a photo finish on Champions Day 2019 in the Long Distance Cup.

He came back last season and had a prep run in the Group One Coronation Cup where he ran to a good standard finishing third and gave him the run he needed to go and win a third straight renewal of this event.

After joining the likes of Double Trigger and Yeats after landing the Gold Cup, he headed to Glorious Goodwood seeking a fourth win in the Goodwood Cup, which he went on to win.

He was dropped in trip after that in prep for the Arc, where the race did not suit him and that seemed to really mess him about with him only beating one home in the Long Distance Cup.

The mighty veteran came back this season for the Group Three Sagaro Stakes at Ascot and was a superb winner of the event over two miles.

It set him up perfectly for a crack at his fourth straight victory in the Ascot Gold Cup at the royal meeting but unfortunately it was not to be with him being left far too much to do when turning for home.

He was beaten by Subjectivist who is now out for the season and having skipped the Goodwood Cup he should be the freshest horse heading to post.

Trueshan represents Alan King and unsurprisingly warrants plenty of appeal after his Group Two success in the Long Distance Cup over two miles at Ascot on his final run of last season and his latest win in the Goodwood Cup

He is clearly a talented stayer and holds great claims for this event by which his yard will have their eyes very much fixed upon after his latest success.

The gelding has been seen three times this season, starting at Chester in the Group Three Ormonde Stakes over 13.5f and was a good second behind frequent Group One winner Japan.

He then had a prep run in the Northumberland Stakes at Newcastle finishing a fair sixth, and that set him up perfectly for the Goodwood Cup, where he landed the two miles event by close to four lengths.

The more rain the better for this horse with his best form coming on soft and he is another smart stayer that should throw it down to Stradivarius.

Won't run if the rain doesn't come.

The five year old will be ridden by William Buick again and has been very progressive during the last year or so when teaming up together, running against good company over marathon trips and performing well.

Five starts ago in September he went on to land the Group Two Doncaster Cup over 2m2f, but then went to Ascot on Champions Day and could only finish seventh in the Long Distance Cup ran on soft ground.

That bad run can be put down to a blip and not having his ground and he bounced back to form next time out in Saudi Arabia when a good second in a handicap over 1m7f.

He has since been seen again in Meydan finishing a fair fifth in the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup behind the smart Subjectivist and next time out gave one of his best runs of his career to take the Yorkshire Cup at the track.

Last time out he ran another cracker to finish third behind Subjectivist in the Group One Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

The gelding stays well, handles faster ground better than soft so will not want much rain, but seems to be in the form of his life and can't be discounted.

The Willie Mullins trained Stratum has been a strong stayer for the yard over the years for Willie Mullins but could be vulnerable in this field.

Having been running over hurdles and in handicaps on the flat, stepping up into Group Two company with proven horses at this level makes him opposable.

The gelding was last seen on the flat winning at Royal Ascot in the Queen Alexandra Stakes by closeto four lengths with a really impressive performance, but then went to Galway over hurdles and was underwhelming.

He has been much better on the flat than over hurdles, but does need to put up a career best to win this.

A veteran in the staying ranks, The Grand Visir for Ian Williams has been a very consistent horse in staying events over the years, but like Stratum could be vulnerable in this field.

This season the seven year old son of Frankel has been running to a high standard finishing second in the Chester Cup on seasonal debut and then backing that up with a third placed finish in a Group Two in France.

He then went to Ascot and was again third behind Stratum in the Queen Alexandra Stakes, but went one better into second at Sandown in Listed company.

However, the gelding was very disappointing last time out at Goodwood and he just doesn't have the form to cut it at this level.