Stradivarius on course for Arc despite trial defeat

Stradivarius remains on track for next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, despite suffering a surprise defeat in Sunday’s Prix Foy at the Paris track.

The six-year-old has enjoyed another stellar summer over staying trips, and has been switched back to middle distances this autumn with a view to providing his owner Bjorn Nielsen with a runner in the Arc. 

He was sent off as an odds-on favourite for the Group 2 Prix Foy, which is run over the same course and distance as the Arc, but he could only finish second behind last year’s Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck - a rival who also defeated him in the Coronation Cup in June. 

In a muddling affair, Stradivarius sat prominent throughout under Frankie Dettori, though the pair were unable to get back the front-running Anthony Van Dyck, who gamely held on to prevail by a short head. 

The result saw Stradivarius drift out to a best-priced 20/1 for the Arc, but his trainer John Gosden was enthused by the performance, and confirmed that he would be heading back to Paris next month - for a high-profile clash with his stablemate Enable.

He said: “It was a very typical French trial – in that they didn’t go a great pace.

“In these races you can either make your own pace, run a pacemaker or just follow – I’ve known them to go even slower than they did today, but they did go pretty steady.

“I was happy with the way he finished the race – his last furlong was his best furlong. In that respect he’s run a good trial for the Arc and that’s where he’ll be going. He's travelled over there now and behaved himself pretty well. I’m happy with the run as a trial.”