Gregory To Be Rested, But Will Return For 4-Year-Old Campaign

Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), who won the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, is headed for some time off, with connections opting for a 4-year-old staying campaign, according to racing advisor Richard Brown.

The John and Thady Gosden trainee won his first three starts, before running third in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. and fifth in the G1 St Leger, both times to Heart's Cry (Jpn) colt Continuous (Jpn).

“I think he's going to be better on top of the ground and he still ran an admirable race,” said Brown, reflecting on the colt's St Leger performance.

“He's a big colt and by the far the biggest, most scopey horse in that field and he's only going to get better from three to four. He still ran with credit, but we'll put him away now and we'll look at turning him into a Cup horse next year.”

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Gosdens Considering Quartet For Doncaster’s St Leger

John and Thady Gosden could have as many as four runners, led by G2 Queen's Vase hero Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), in the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster next Saturday.

The Wathnan Racing colourbearer was most recently third to St Leger rival Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York last month. He will be partnered by the retiring Frankie Dettori, who has already won the Classic six times including twice for Gosden with Shantou (Alleged) in 1996 and Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in 2019.

“He came out of the race at York in very good order,” said the elder Gosden, who has already won five editions of the British Classic. “If the weather is set fair at Doncaster that won't bother him with it being top of the ground. I have had some luck going from the Voltigeur to the St Leger, but I often feel it is quite close if they have had a hard race and I have had a couple bounce, that can happen. I'm very pleased with him at this stage, he seems in great order and very content in himself.

“He's got a great mind and he is a pretty laid-back character. I trained both the mother and father and he's inherited all their good traits of their mental attitude towards racing. I think he'll enjoy the distance. We are perfectly aware it looks like being a vintage St Leger.”

Qatar Racing's Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion), a winner of the Melrose H., will need to be supplemented to run, while Anthony Oppenheimer's stakes-placed homebred Lion's Pride (GB), another by the late Tweenhills stallion, is also a St Leger prospect. The final member of the quartet is Juddmonte's one-time G1 Betfred Derby favourite Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. in August, however the colt is ground dependent.

“Middle Earth ran a lovely race in the Melrose and I'm really happy with him,” said Gosden. “He has a very strong likelihood, all being well with his bloods and scopes, to be supplemented. Qatar Racing have won the race before and I think they are game to go.

“We're very pleased with Arrest, he took his race very well at Newbury. He's in top order but I think if it's good-to-firm at Doncaster I think you'll find him heading to Paris for the [G2] Prix Chaudenay rather than Doncaster. He's a lovely horse but he rolls his knee and he'll enjoy more what I call the autumn ground.”

Of Lion's Pride Gosden added, “I think there's a likelihood he will run in the race as well, after all there's only one St Leger. His sire was the last horse off the bridle in Masar (Ire)'s Derby but he didn't get the mile-and-a-half. This boy is out of a good source of stamina on the dam's side.”

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Gregory Seeks Redemption in St Leger

Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), victorious in the G2 Queen's Vase S. at Royal Ascot in June, will attempt to return to his winning ways in the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger. Undefeated heading into the Royal meeting, the 3-year-old finished third as the favorite in York's G2 Great Voltigeur S. Aug. 23.

Wathnan Racing advisor Richard Brown said, “We said after Ascot that his main target would be the Leger and that [the Great Voltigeur] was the obvious race to take en route. We'd love to have won it, but they went pretty hard up front–those early fractions were pretty fierce. We were initially disappointed, but then you see where the two horses that went with him finished and where he finished. Frankie [Dettori] looked after him when his winning chance had gone and actually when he stood up on him, the horse ran on again on his own.”

Looking ahead, he added, “Back up to a mile and six [furlongs] in the Leger is going to be much more his game. I've been in racing long enough not to be overly optimistic as things go wrong and maybe he's not good enough, but I think he's going to go there with a big chance.”

Gregory is the 3-1 market leader for the Leger with Paddy Power, with his York conqueror Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) a 4-1 shot and Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who carries the colours of the King and Queen, next in line at 11-2.

Brown said, “He's come out of the race in great shape, John and Thady [Gosden] are very happy with him, it's all systems go and we're looking forward to it.”

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Paddington Heads Four In Mouthwatering Juddmonte International

Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) heads a field of four for the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York with Aidan O'Brien's star three-year-old bidding for a fifth success at the highest level.

His chief threat is Shadwell's G1 Prince Of Wales's S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt will be accompanied by stablemate Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who bids to rebound off a third-placed effort in the G1 Nassau S at Goodwood.

King Power Racing's Derby fifth The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) will have his first start since last month's GI Belmont Derby Invitational in New York where he finished an unlucky second.

Opening day on the Knavesmire will also feature the five-runner Sky Bet G2 Great Voltigeur S., in which Wathnan Racing's undefeated G2 Queen's Vase victor Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) will line out in advance of a possible tilt at next month's G1 St Leger.

The pattern-race action gets under way with the seven-furlong G3 Tattersalls Acomb S., which has attracted six juveniles headed by another Wathnan Racing acquisition, Ballymount Boy (Ire) (Camacho {GB}).

He was last seen finishing second to G1 Prix Morny hero Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in this month's G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood. The Adrian Keatley trainee will exit from gate two for his first start in fresh silks.

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