Kyprios denies heroic Stradivarius in thrilling race for Goodwood Cup

Gold Cup winner Kyprios followed up in the Goodwood Cup with a narrow success from four-time previous winner Stradivarius in one of the most exciting staying races of recent years on the opening day of the Glorious meeting.

Though Stradivarius got to the front inside the last furlong, Kyprios kept finding more and got his head back in front in the last 200 yards to hold on for a neck victory.

The pair finished just ahead of Trueshan, who was given the chance to defend his crown by trainer Alan King and the six-year-old ran a bold race in bidding to win back-to-back renewals, finishing a length and a quarter back in third.

The Goodwood crowd were willing Stradivarius to a fifth success in the long-distance Group One event but while it wasn’t to be, race fans were rewarded afterwards when owner Bjorn Nielsen confirmed his eight-year-old veteran would carry on racing.

He said: “I was happy with the way Stradivarius ran. I thought half a furlong out he might do it but it was hard to see at the angle and if he had been upsides it might have been a different story.

“We’re not going to say goodbye after that. He still has his enthusiasm and he’s run the Gold Cup winner very close. York [for the Yorkshire Cup] is on the cards. Frankie handled him well there but I haven’t discussed [whether he will be back on the horse] with the trainer.”

Usual jockey Frankie Dettori was taken off after he had a troubled passage for the second year running at Royal Ascot in the Gold Cup.

Andrea Atzeni, who was on board on Tuesday, said: “He ran his heart out again. Maybe he got a bit lonely on his own but he is a true champion

Winning rider Ryan Moore holds the winner – who at one stage in his life was seen as a Classic contender – in very high