The Racing Horse has made Stradivarius 3.00 York at 4/6 today. He makes his seasonal reappearance in the Matchbook Yorkshire Cup Stakes (Group 2) 1m5f188y and the going is good to firm (good in places). John Gosden is sticking to a tried and trusted route with last year’s winner, who sets the standard among the current crop of stayers.

John Gosden has reported his charge in fine fettle, he said: "I've been happy with both that work and his progress, so I would be hopeful of a big run. He would actually have no problem dropping back to a mile and a half. I know we're bringing him back over a mile and six furlongs but he's still in the Coronation Cup, which tells you something of how I view the horse. Against that, he saw the trip out well in that extraordinary finish to the Gold Cup, and if things go the right way on Friday we'll be going back to Ascot."

The Bjorn Nielsen-owned 5yo was the undoubted star of the staying division in 2018, winning each of his five starts and became only the second horse, after the legendary Frankel in 2012, to win five QIPCO British Champions Series races in one season. After landing this Group Two prize 12 months ago, Stradivarius went on to claim the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, the Goodwood Cup and the Lonsdale Cup back at York - a run of victories which saw him earn a seven-figure bonus through the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million. Just for good measure, he added the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup to his tally in October and he will be a warm order to pick up where he left off on his return to the Knavesmire.

Gosden continued: "He's been very happy and jolly in himself throughout his preparation and he's looking forward to coming back to York. He's a fun horse to train - he's very expressive - and he's trained very nicely. We've had no setbacks with him."

Any horse hoping to scoop the Stayers' Million for landing the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Lonsdale Cup must first win one of eight qualifying races across Britain, Ireland, Dubai, France and Germany - of which the Yorkshire Cup is one.

Frankie Dettori is hoping Stradivarius can keep his hopes of winning a second bonus alive in what is the first race in the Long Distance category of this year's Qipco British Champions Series but is taking nothing for granted. He said: "It's very unusual to have a stayer with such a turn of foot. He's a great little horse. What he's done has been remarkable and we are going to try to do it all again, but it's going to be more difficult with more competition and more miles on the clock."

Do we have value at 4/6? Given the optimistic comments of the trainer and jockey we think we have. We would like to see him shorten close to post time.

***