Tag: John and Thady Gosden

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.”

The post Gosdens Considering Quartet For Doncaster’s St Leger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Soul Sister Sidelined for the Remainder of 2023

G1 Betfred Oaks heroine Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will miss the remainder of this season after suffering a small setback and will be pointed to a 4-year-old campaign, Charlie Gordon-Watson, racing manager to owner/breeder Lady Bamford, revealed Friday.

“It's only a temporary thing and precautionary and as we wanted to have her for next year it was the prudent thing to do,” Gordon-Watson said. “It's the sensible thing to do and she will be better next year, she's going to be stronger. She's not the strongest but she'll strengthen up for next year and it is the right thing to do.”

The John and Thady Gosden trainee was most recently third in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on July 14 and also captured the G3 Musidora S. at York in May. She will head to Lady Bamford's Daylesford Stud for the remainder of 2023.

The post Soul Sister Sidelined for the Remainder of 2023 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.”

The post Gregory Seeks Redemption in St Leger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Frankel’s Mostahdaf Makes All For International Glory And A Record Sixth Success For Dettori

Just 35 minutes after Ryan Moore had given a copybook off-the-pace ride in the G2 Great Voltigeur, Frankie Dettori provided a masterclass of his own with a pillar-to-post exhibition aboard Shadwell's Mostahdaf (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Handassa {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) in a stellar renewal of York's G1 Juddmonte International as the Knavesmire crowd was treated to high-end examples of elite horsemanship on the opening day of the Ebor Festival.

The G1 Prince Of Wales's S. victor was sharply into stride and soon held a three-length buffer, with Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) his closest pursuer through halfway. Dettori offered his rivals an opportunity to close when checking on their proximity and allowing his mount to fill his lungs approaching the half-mile pole. Shaken up in front with a quarter-mile remaining, the 3-1 second favourite was not for catching when push came to shove and he kept on strongly under a late urging to provide the rider with an outright record sixth triumph in the extended 10-furlong contest. Mostahdaf hit the line with one-length advantage as stablemate Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) rallied late and usurped the valiant Paddington for second in the dying strides.

Last term's G3 Gordon Richards S. and G3 September S. victor was undone by ground conditions when last of 20 in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and embellished his earnings column with a wide-margin tally in Riyadh's G3 Neom Turf Cup on seasonal return. Mostahdaf was no match for Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), finishing fourth in Meydan's Mar. 25 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, before bouncing back in style with a four-length triumph at Royal Ascot last time. His winning time of 2:06.40 here was the quickest since Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) outgunned three rivals in 2009.

“I've always thought he was a very good horse and he was electric when he won the Neom Cup,” said John Gosden of his charge, who punched his ticket for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. “We then stupidly tried him over a mile-and-a-half again, against the Japanese world champion [Equinox], and got put in our box. I think it will be 10 furlongs all the way now. You could probably get away with a mile-and-a-half at the Breeders' Cup, round a few bends and down a hill, but I don't think we'll see that. I'll see what the owner wants to do. She's done wonderfully well and her father would be so proud of her. The Irish Champion has to be a possibility, but I always like to get home and make a decision after 10 days. Some are trying to persuade me to run him in the Breeders' Cup Classic on the dirt, but I don't know about that. I don't think he has to have a big gap between his races, it was just that he'd raced in the winter and then took on the great Equinox over a mile-and-a-half. You then need a holiday and he did well for it.”

Analysing Dettori's pitch-perfect ride and the effort of runner-up Nashwa, the trainer continued, “I think Frankie is like many of us, he's getting better with age. It was the plan to make it a real test today as there was no point letting Ryan [Moore] do his own thing. It was like Roberto and Brigadier Gerard all over again, but the filly finished second and the other boy [Paddington] has been very busy. Nashwa showed her class today, having got stuck in the mud in the Nassau, and it was brave of the owner to run her.”

Shadwell's racing manager Angus Gold added: “To win the races we've done this year has been incredible; the Prince of Wales's, the King George, the Nassau and now this. It's been an amazing year. We have to enjoy it and be grateful. This was a proper race, but I was sad for York and the crowd there were only four runners. It was a quality race on paper and it lived up to its billing. We knew if we stood any chance of beating Paddington, we had to do something different rather than let him have his own way out in front again. Frankie proved a good substitute [for the suspended Jim Crowley] to have on the day. We weren't too worried changing tack as long as Frankie got the pace right.”

Aidan O'Brien admitted it may have been too much of a stretch to bring 'TDN Rising Star' Paddington back so soon after Goodwood's G1 Sussex S. and explained, “He ran a great race, but maybe I just pulled the elastic band too long and that's the reality. He had a tough race in Goodwood on soft ground and it just told today. He was just a little bit down in himself and maybe I should have waited and gone to Leopardstown [for the G1 Irish Champion] to give him a bit more time. He's only a baby 3-year-old and Ryan felt he was just a little bit flat. He was in good form and obviously we were happy to come here, but you don't really know until the speedometer goes to red. Frankie went evenly strong all the way and Ryan said he didn't travel with his usual fluency, but he still ran very well.” Looking to the future, O'Brien added, “We'll see how he is and everything's a possibility, but he definitely won't go to the Irish Champion. It will depend on what the lads want to do. We have fairly given it to him, we backed him up fairly tough and he did have a tough one the last day. I would have to say maybe I shouldn't have ran him, but that's the way it is.”

Pedigree Notes

Mostahdaf, the fifth of nine foals, is one of four scorers out of Listed Garnet S. victrix Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), herself kin to GII San Gabriel S.-winning GI Frank E Kilroe Mile placegetter Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and G3 Earl of Sefton S. third Euginio (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The March-foaled homebred is full to the unraced 2-year-old colt Mutaawid (GB) and a weanling filly. He is also a half-brother to G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. heroine Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and a yearling colt by Kingman (GB). His second dam Starstone (GB) (Diktat {GB}) is an unraced half-sister to Group 1-winning sires Pastoral Pursuits (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and Goodricke (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}).

Wednesday, York, Britain
JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL S.-G1, £1,000,000, York, 8-23, 3yo/up, 10f 56yT, 2:06.40, g/f.
1–MOSTAHDAF (IRE), 134, h, 5, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Handassa (GB) (SW-Ire), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Starstone (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Star (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £567,100. Lifetime Record: GSW-KSA, 16-10-2-0, $3,000,193. *1/2 to Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), MG1SW-Eng, $409,959. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nashwa (GB), 131, f, 4, Frankel (GB)–Princess Loulou (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Imad Al Sagar; B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £215,000.
3–Paddington (GB), 127, c, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Modern Eagle (Ger), by Montjeu (Ire). (€420,000 Ylg '21 ARQDOY). O-Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg & Brant; B-Dayton Investments Ltd (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. £107,600.
Margins: 1, NK, 6. Odds: 3.00, 6.50, 0.67.
Also Ran: The Foxes (Ire).

 

The post Frankel’s Mostahdaf Makes All For International Glory And A Record Sixth Success For Dettori appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights