STRADIVARIUS was one of many non-runners on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood festival as an overnight thunderstorm and further heavy rain turned the ground against the four-time winner and in favour of Alan King’s Trueshan (115) who, in the hands of Hollie Doyle, ran out an impressive winner of the Group 1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

The times of the races that preceded the feature backed up the view that ground conditions were as described and heading towards heavy ground.