Stradivarius odds shorten on winning third Ascot Gold Cup after Aidan O’Brien fails to enter Kew Gardens
- Frankie Dettori will be trying to win an eighth Gold Cup on Stradivarius
- Kew Gardens had been expected to be one of the biggest obstacles in race
- Irish challenger ended the colt’s 10-race winning sequence at Ascot in October
Stradivarius is 1-2 favourite for Thursday’s Ascot Gold Cup after Aidan O’Brien failed to enter Kew Gardens.
The Irish challenger had been expected to be one of the biggest obstacles to Stradivarius winning a third Gold Cup after ending the John Gosden-trained colt’s 10-race winning sequence at Ascot in October.
Frankie Dettori will be trying to win an eighth Gold Cup on Stradivarius whose big rivals, according to the betting among the nine entries, are Charlie Appleby-trained 2018 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter and Martyn Meade-trained Technician.
Frankie Dettori (right) will be trying to win an eighth Gold Cup on Stradivarius
O’Brien’s five-year-old was set to renew rivalry with reigning champion Stradivarius, having inflicted a shock defeat on John Gosden’s star in the Long Distance Cup on British Champions Day.
However, he will not line up in the two-and-a-half-mile showpiece, with Ballydoyle tweeting: ‘We weren’t 100% happy with Kew Gardens this morning and he will not be entered in the Ascot Gold Cup.’
O’Brien is without an entry for Group One prize, with the nine contenders headed by hat-trick seeker Stradivarius.
