Stradivarius and Frankie Dettori bag massive payday with gutsy win in the Lonsdale Cup at York
John Gosden's colt landed the Group 2 to earn a £1,000,000 bonus
STRADIVARIUS earned his connections a massive payday when winning the Lonsdale Cup at York.
The John Gosden-trained colt battled to a tough success and secured the £1,000,000 Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million bonus.
The four-year-old colt has been the dominant stayer this season, winning the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup.
Those wins meant that he would bag the seven-figure bonus, which was only introduced this year, if he could land the four-timer.
He was sent off the 4-11 favourite, but takers of those odds will have gained a few grey hairs during the Group 2 contest.
Jockey Frankie Dettori found himself in a pocket at the top of the straight and was forced to switch to the rail as Count Octave galloped on strongly in the lead.
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He steadily began to wear down his rival approaching the final furlong and he was a length and a half clear at the line, though Count Octave made him pull out all the stops.
Gosden felt the horse was nowhere near his best after a series of tough battles this year.
Gosden said: "Full marks to the owner (Bjorn Nielsen), he's been trying to breed a Derby winner for years and he ends up with a Cup horse!
"But seriously, he's passionate about breeding and puts a lot of time and effort into it, so he deserves it.
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"I wouldn't say he was at his sparkling best today, Rab (Havlin, on Petitioner) did a good job setting a pace and it was a good job he was there otherwise there wouldn't have been much pace.
"I think he's better off a really strong pace. But we can't complain as we won.
"Just briefly Frankie had his ground taken. He hates coming up the rail at York, he won right down the middle on Mark Johnston's horse yesterday and was determined to do the same, but he ended up on the rail.
"It's an extraordinary achievement. The horse has a lot of determination, but also a lot of class.
"When it (WH Stayers' Million) was announced we thought it was a great incentive, but would be very hard to do, so I'm thrilled to do it in the first year."
Dettori produced his trademark flying dismount after the race and is looking forward to getting his slice of the cash.
Dettori said: "I didn't feel the horse was as good today as at Ascot, only his courage and class got him through.
"I'm usually worried sometimes he can take a hold, but today he was very quiet, he didn't carry me with his usual enthusiasm.
"He's had a hard season, being in every two-mile championship race from the start of the season can take its toll, but his class and courage saw him through.
"Show me the money!"