THE withdrawal of Goodwood Cup winner Trueshan threatened to turn the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup into something of an anti-climax, but that was counting without Stradivarius and Frankie Dettori.

The seven-year-old looked a shadow of his former self in the Gold Cup, but whatever he may have lost in raw ability, he has not given up any of his fighting spirit, and despite the 4/6 favourite being headed by chief rival Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding/William Buick) in the final furlong, neither horse nor jockey was in the mood to roll over, and they came storming back to wrest back the lead and the spoils in the dying strides.

The race developed largely as expected, with the Gold Cup third and fourth proving better than their two rivals in the conditions, and Richard Kingscote helped ensure that the race did not descent into farce by setting a good gallop on outsider The Grand Visir.

Dettori sat second and kept a watchful eye on William Buick, planning to delay his own challenge until Buick had asked his mount for an effort, and those tactics were deployed expertly, with Dettori getting to the front as the leader weakened, but not asking Stradivarius to kick off the front, but to wait for Buick to commit.

As a piece of cat-and-mouse riding, it was exceptional, and puts Dettori back where he belongs after the ridiculous criticism of his Ascot ride.

John and Thady Gosden’s superstar stayer has lit up the racecourses of England since winning the Goodwood Cup as a three-year-old, but the special relationship the veteran has with his rider elevates the pair beyond the everyday, and into the realms of greatness.

There have been better stayers in the past, and there will probably be better in years to come, but Stradivarius has that essential element which only the truly great performers have – character, or as John Wayne would have it – True Grit.

THE Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes went very much with the formbook, as July Stakes hero Lusail (Richard Hannon/Pat Dobbs) defied an ominous market drift to come out on top, beating Gis A Sub (Kevin Ryan/Kevin Stott) a length and a quarter, with Michael O’Callaghan’s Twilight Jet (Leigh Roche) beaten an aggregate of two lengths into third.

Lusail had to concede 3lbs for his Newmarket win, but given he’d beaten subsequent Richmond Stakes winner Asymmetric there, with Phoenix Stakes winner Ebro River back in fourth, the penalty looked entirely justified.

Coventry Stakes winner Berkshire Shadow was well-backed into favouritism at 3/1 after his defeat over further in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, but was never going the pace on the outside, and while he worked his way into contention with just over a furlong left, the effort of doing so told, and he faded into seventh.

The winner is a son of Mehmas, who also won the July Stakes for Richard Hannon in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing.

There are obvious parallels between the pair for those reasons, but Lusail is almost the perfect reproduction of his sire in that he is sound, precocious, straightforward, and willing at a high level.

Whether he’s given his chance to shine at three remains to be seen, but for now he can be expected to go to the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next month, and if the ground is again quick, it would be a brave or foolhardy punter who would bet against him.

THE Convivial Maiden went in good style to Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy with Hoo Ya Mal, the son of Territories winning by two and a half lengths at 4/1.

Ben Curtis and Roger Teal were on the scoreboard with the three-year-old filly The Flying Ginger in the one-mile, two-and-a-half-furlong handicap, she led from the three mark and held off all challengers. Blacktype is now on the agenda.

The opening mile-and-a-half handicap went to outsider Sam Cooke at 14/1 for Ralph Beckett and Rob Hornby.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Rifleman had dumped Ryan Moore on the Sandown turf earlier in the season but this time put his best foot forward for his partner and stayed on strongly when challenged by Isla Kai to win the Sky Bet Mile at 8/1 to end the card.