The runners in the Golden Gates Handicap race around the final bend into the home straight at the Royal Ascot on Thursday. Reuters

Stradivarius became only the third horse to win three successive ascot Gold Cups, triumphing in Thursday’s Royal ascot showpiece in stunning style under Frankie Dettori.

Stradivarius and Dettori made light of the soft ground he supposedly despises to storm 10 lengths clear of long-time pacesetter Nayef Road to emulate Sagaro and Yeats.

Meanwhile, it was a day of mixed fortunes for the UAE horses. Three of the two horses, who won, are owned by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

Both Jim Crowley’s wins came for trainer Roger Varian, who had a treble on the day.

Crowley’s sailed to easy win on Khaloosy, which belongs to Sheikh Hamdan, in the Britannia Handicap.

“Six winners is the stuff of dreams,” said crowley. “It is the hardest place to ride winners.”

Asked whether Moore’s modern-day record could tumble crowley replied: “It isn’t impossible.”

Varian and Crowley also picked up the Group Three Jersey Stakes with Molatham, which is also owned by Sheikh Hamdan.

While James Doyle won his third race of the week with Varian’s Mountain Angel, which is owned Dubai-based entrepreneur Ziad Abdullah Ibrahim Al Galadari, in the Wolferton Stakes.

“I will pinch myself and wake up soon!” said Varian of his treble which took him to top of the trainers’ table with four winners.

Earlier, “One day when I am sitting in my rocking chair, to say I rode the horse who won three Gold Cups in a row -- that’s a big number,” he said.

“I am very proud of it. I have ridden some great horses, and he will go down as one the great stayers, definitely my best stayer.

“I’m so proud of him, he has brought me such joy. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Even with no crowd I’m quite emotional. A very proud moment.

“It’s always that scary moment when you get to the furlong marker -- will he pick up or not -- but he did and he stretched away by 10.

Dettori is just three shy of Lester Piggott’s record of 11 Gold Cups.

“Does the fact that I have now won eight Gold Cups mean I am old, or I have been lucky in the race?,” smiled Dettori.

Winning trainer John Gosden rejected the notion Stradivarius was the best of an average group of stayers.

“He has beaten top-class horses throughout his career,” said the 69-year-old.

“He has heart and class and I talked up the soft ground being against him so I could as a trainer have an excuse if he was beaten.”

Gosden, who earlier in the meeting passed the 50 winners landmark, said he knew Stradivarius was up for it when he saddled him. “Stradivarius is quite a character,” he said.

“I must change my aftershave, as he got quite coltish whilst I was saddling him.

“He is quite a noisy character and he was having a shout and play out there -- he does think life is a bit of fun and when you win races like this, I suppose it is.”

Gosden did not rule out a meeting of Stradivarius and his other stable superstar Enable in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October which the latter will be bidding to win for a third time in four years.

“He’s (Bjorn Nielsen the owner/breeder) passionate about breeding and keeps trying to breed a Derby winner, but he’s got a very good Cup horse,” said Gosden.

“It’s just a pity he can’t be here today. It’s down to Bjorn whether we come back for a fourth.

“He ran brilliantly in the Coronation Cup, so an Arc on Autumn ground isn’t out of the question.”

Yeats went on to win a record four Gold Cups but Johnny Murtagh, who rode him on the last two occasions, said Stradivarius could equal that.

“This lad could just do it,” Murtagh told ITV Racing.

The rest of the field had few excuses with the 2018 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter running on late to be third.

“The long-term target has always been the Melbourne Cup,” said trainer Charlie Appleby.

“What we have seen today, he is back to where he was in Melbourne.

“Just ride him chilly (out the back), as he sees it out well and has a good turn of foot.”

Highland Chief came from way off the pace to give Paul and Oliver Cole a landmark success in the Golden Gates Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Agencies