You would normally expect a great stayer to be defined by their performances in the Gold Cup (G1) at Ascot, but that isn't the case with Stradivarius.
Although he has won six times there, he has also been beaten six times and it's at York where he has looked to be most comfortable.
He has never been beaten on the Knavesmire and has a perfect record of 6-6. That's an even split of three Yorkshire Cup (G2) wins and three Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes (G2) victories, so can he make it four?
The roof will probably come off the County Stand if he can because the Yorkshire crowd have embraced him as one of their own, but he probably faces his stiffest task at the track yet.
Stradivarius was odds-on for five of his six York wins and 6-4 favorite for the other so, on the majority of occasions, he was simply far better than his opposition. That isn't the case this time, though, because the best stayer in the division will line up against him.
No, not Kyprios. Trueshan is the highest-rated stayer since Yeats on Racing Post Ratings, with his Northumberland Plate victory on the all-weather at Newcastle good enough for a figure of 126. He wasn't able to replicate that form behind Stradivarius last time, however.
That was in an epic race for the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes British Champions Series (G1) in which Kyprios beat Stradivarius by a neck and Trueshan was a further length and a quarter behind. According to RPRs, Trueshan was eight pounds below his best that day, so what are the chances he can return to peak form here?
That might depend on how much rain arrives because all of Trueshan's best turf form has come with cut in the ground and he now looks more dependent on that than ever.
Tashkhan, fifth in the Gold Cup, and Quickthorn are two others who have recorded their best efforts with soft in the going description. Quickthorn looked better than ever when landing a group 2 at Longchamp last time on what was officially described as good to soft—although the ground appeared to be riding much quicker than that on the day—but is still 10 pounds behind Trueshan.
Stradivarius Showing 'Right Signs'
Since the back end of last year, the Goodwood Cup had been touted as the finale of Stradivarius's epic symphony. The rousing reception he received from the York crowd after beating Spanish Mission in this race last year looked likely to be the last he accepted on the Knavesmire, a track at which he is unbeaten.
Yet here is again a year later, and after a rollercoaster summer featuring narrow defeats at Ascot and Goodwood and a very public break-up with Frankie Dettori, are we approaching the final crescendo?
Only Bjorn Nielsen and John Gosden will have the final say on that, and Andrea Atzeni, who replaced Dettori in the Goodwood Cup and keeps the ride here, is keeping focused firmly on the present as he attempts to extend Stradivarius' perfect York record to seven.
He said: "I'm excited. We'll have to see if Trueshan turns up or not, and it's a very tight race, but he's unbeaten at the track and likes it there.
"It looks like there's going to be plenty of pace and hopefully we can get a clean run round and be there with every chance coming up the straight.
"Looking at the crowds York had when Baaeed ran it looked huge and hopefully it will be the same for Stradivarius."
Joint-trainer Thady Gosden said: "If there's no more rain, the ground should hopefully be on the quick side, which he would enjoy. As we all know, he is a horse who likes to show you how he is feeling, and he has definitely been showing the right signs since then."
Kyprios has been Stradivarius' vanquisher at Ascot and Goodwood, but the Aidan O'Brien-trained star is not here this time, and neither might Trueshan be, unless York receives some substantial overnight rain to turn ground conditions in his favor.
His trainer Alan King said: "He's traveled to York but his run will depend on what rain they get. I would want it no quicker than good, good to soft and there is rain forecast, so we just need to wait and see what happens. He's in great order and I'm very happy with him, but it all depends on the weather."
