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.