John Hunt
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra commentator at Royal Ascot

Stradivarius annihilated the field. I feel very fortunate to have witnessed that stunning display.

It may have been eerily quiet at Royal Ascot, with no spectators, but that will go down as one of the most memorable performances in the meeting's rich history.

Right up there with Dubai Millennium, Frankel and Estimate.

No wonder Frankie Dettori treated those who were there to a flying dismount.

Rain-softened conditions were supposedly against him, but Stradivarius - who was, shall we say, excitable in the parade ring beforehand - cruised into the lead and careered away from his opponents.

That is an eighth Gold Cup win for the 49-year-old Dettori.

Andrew Thornton
Former jockey on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Frankie Dettori is in love with this horse, has a great affinity with him and knows him so well.

This performance puts Stradivarius up there with the greatest stayers we've ever seen and he keeps getting better and better every year.

Image source, PA Media

John Hunt
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra commentator at Royal Ascot

Frankie Dettori can hardly contain himself. He is as ecstatic as I've ever seen him and that's saying something given all he's achieved.

It was a quite astonishing display.

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Nothman
Racing commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Champions can make light of adversity and Stradivarius was breathtaking.

2018: Stradivarius WON

2019: Stradivarius WON

2020: Stradiivarius WON

Tremendous performance from Stradivarius to take the feature race at Royal Ascot for the third year running - only he third to do so after Sagaro and Yeats.

Frankie Dettori gave a typically astute ride, but this was all about the brilliant horse, trained by John Gosden.

TEN LENGTHS. The official winning distance. Wow. He blitzed them.

1. Stradivarius 4-5 fav (Frankie Dettori)

2. Nayef Road 11-1 (Ryan Moore)

3. Cross Counter 7-1 (James Doyle)

• Full result

HERE COMES STRADIVARIUS......

Oh wow, Stradivarius wins, and the rest are nowhere. What a performance!

When Dettori let his mount go, he surged clear.

That. Was. Superb.

Image source, Getty Images

Beginning to hot up. Nayef Road out front. Little nudge for Stradivarius from Dettori. WIthhhold in second. Jockeying for position around the bend.

Just over a mile to go. Nayef Road leads. Pace is fairly sedate. Stradivarius fifth. Technican sixth. Cards yet to be played.

Frankie Dettori has Stradivarius settled in midfield. Nayef Road leads a line of eight in the opening stages.

Here we go. Off in the big one.

Approximate odds

10-11 Stradivarius, 11-4 Technician, 10-1 Cross Counter., 11-1 Moonlight Spirit, 14-1 Nayef Road, 25-1 Mekong, 40-1 Prince Of Arran, Withhold.

• Runners and riders

Technician has been well supported, with the overnight rain seen as a positive for his chances.

All eyes are on Frankie Dettori and Stradivarius as they bid for a third Gold Cup win in a row.

And the horse has been a little frisky in the parade ring.

Victory would see the six-year-old become the third three-time Gold Cup winner after Sagaro in the 1970s and Yeats, who won it four times from 2006-2009.

But the rain is not a friend to Stradivarius - "He does not want soft ground, if we get a lot of rain it dents that wonderful turn of foot which is his great weapon," says trainer John Gosden.

Aiming to spoil the party are Technician, the mount of champion jockey Oisin Murphy and Moonlight Spirit, ridden by William Buick.

Image source, Getty Images

Stradivarius is a heavyweight of the racing world, and trainer John Gosden has used a boxing analogy ahead of the horse's bid for a third consecutive Gold Cup after heavy rain at Royal Ascot.

"There's little you can do about it but Stradivarius has a high cruising speed on top of the ground. " he told ITV Racing.

"It's a little bit like Muhammad Ali, he won't be able to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. It's more likely to be rope a dope. Probably having a run under his belt is not a bad thing given conditions."

Image source, Getty Images

Battleground wandered around a bit at the end but wins fairly comfortably for jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Some armchair jockeys were critical of Moore earlier on social media but he is soon back in the winning groove.

Some odds are coming through already for next year's 2,000 Guiineas and Battleground is rated around a 10-1 chance.

Image source, Getty Images

1. Battleground (Ryan Moore) 11-4 favourite

2. March Law (Silvestre De Sousa) 18-1

3. Seattle Rock (David Egan) 80-1

8 ran

• Full result

Golden Flame nudged along. March Law in the mix. Battleground trying to get on terms.

BBC commentator John Hunt notes First Prophet has been well supported as they enter the stalls.

Approximate odds

11-4 Battleground, 7-2 First Prophet, 7-2 Golden Flame, 4-1 Modern News. 7-1 Bar.

• All the runners and riders