Thady Gosden | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lord North Looking to Build on Historic Exploits

Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) might not be the most talented horse his breed-shaping sire has ever produced, but few can claim to have shown the same longevity as John and Thady Gosden's stable stalwart, the star name among 22 entries for the G3 BetUK Winter Derby at Southwell on Saturday, February 24.

Successful on his sole two-year-old start at Redcar in October 2018, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's Lord North embarks on his seventh year in training at Clarehaven Stables with relatively few miles on the clock for one of his age, boasting a career record of 10 wins from 20 starts.

After climbing through the ranks in handicaps as a three-year-old, notably winning the prestigious Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, Lord North took his form to a new level altogether during the 2020 campaign when he won the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Haydock and G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot, beating the multiple top-level winners Addeybb (Ire), Barney Roy (GB) and Japan (GB).

That remains Lord North's only Group 1 victory on European soil, but his subsequent exploits in the Middle East have guaranteed his place in history as the first three-time winner of the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan. His £6.3 million in career earnings also makes him the richest-ever racehorse by Dubawi ahead of Benbatl (GB) (£5.9 million), whose three Group 1 wins included the 2018 Dubai Turf.

Lord North–who had the Lord North H. run in his honour at Meydan on Friday, January 12–has been on the sidelines since March last year when his trademark turn of foot sealed him his third straight win in the Dubai Turf, beating Danon Beluga (Jpn), previously Group 1-placed in Japan, by three quarters of a length.

A few weeks earlier Lord North had returned from eight months off with an emphatic success in the Winter Derby, while his dead-heat with Panthalassa (Jpn) in the 2022 Dubai Turf followed a runner-up finish when returning from an even longer absence at Lingfield.

All roads surely lead back to Meydan for the eight-year-old Lord North, who could try to complete a remarkable four-timer in the Dubai Turf on Saturday, March 30, though it won't quite be the usual tried-and-tested path if he takes up his entry in the Winter Derby along the way, with that Group 3 set to be run at Southwell for the first time this year.

The other Group 1 winner among the 22 entries is the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}), who won the G1 Ranvet S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in Australia in the first part of 2023, while there would arguably be no more fascinating runner than the long-absent Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}), last seen since finishing fourth in the 2022 G1 2000 Guineas when trained by Roger Varian.

Now in the care of Andrew Balding, Eydon needs to prove that he retains all his ability after such a significant absence, but there is certainly nothing wrong with his Newmarket form which saw him chase home a trio of multiple Group 1 winners in Coroebus (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Luxembourg (Ire).

Balding said, “Eydon has a very high level of form, although it has been some time since he was last on the track. He has had a few niggles, but we are really pleased with him at the moment and the Winter Derby is very much the plan. The intention is to go straight there without a run–we feel that is the right thing to do.”

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Middle Earth to Be Supplemented to St Leger

Qatar Racing's Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion) will be supplemented for £50,000 to the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.

Victorious in a 1 1/2-mile novice event at Newmarket July 28, the Thady and John Gosden trainee doubled up with a win in York's Melrose on the final day of the Ebor meeting (Aug. 26).

“He's progressed well throughout the year, he's always looked like a nice staying colt in the making,” said Thady Gosden. “Of course, he won the Melrose, which is an impressive handicap, in good style.”

He added, “He's got plenty of size and scope, he's a horse that's taken time to mature, as many 3-year-olds do.”

The Gosden yard could therefore be well-stocked for the Classic, with Juddmonte's Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), G1 Queen's Vase winner Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) and Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion)–who beat Middle Earth earlier this season–all currently holding entries.

“It's a fortunate position to be in, to have a few horses who could take up starting positions in the St Leger,” he said.

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Buick Set to Partner Eclipse Favourite Emily Upjohn

John and Thady Gosden had some of their star fillies on the July Course early on Saturday morning with their former stable jockey William Buick replacing Frankie Dettori on Emily Upjohn (GB) for the first time ahead of their engagement in next Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S.

The Coronation Cup winner was joined by her fellow Epsom heroine, the Oaks winner Soul Sister (GB) (Frankel {GB}), and they were led in their mile-long gallop by last season's G2 Park Hill Fillies' S. winner Mimikyu (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Emily Upjohn, whose sire Sea The Stars (Ire) won the Eclipse in 2009, will aim to become her stable's fifth winner of the race. John Gosden said of the statuesque four-year-old, “She is very laidback in the mornings but I'm very happy with her and William was happy with her. I was pleased with all three fillies' work.

“Mimikyu always works well but the other two are always a bit more laidback about life but I'm pleased with them.”

He added that no decision has yet been taken as to where Lady Bamford's Soul Sister will run next. While Emily Upjohn heads to Sandown for the Shack family and Watership Down Stud, the options for George Strawbridge's homebred Mimikyu include the G2 Lancashire Oaks and G2 Lillie Langtry S.

On Thursday, Dettori failed in his appeal to overturn the nine-day suspension he received for interference at Royal Ascot. He also picked up an eight-day whip ban, which will be served immediately after the interference suspension, ruling him out of action from July 4 to 22.

Explaining the booking for the Eclipse, Gosden, who has previously won the race with Nathaniel (Ire), Golden Horn (GB), Roaring Lion and Enable (GB), said, “The owners talked after the appeal hadn't worked out for Frankie and they wanted William and it makes total sense. The owners all know each other well and the fact that William didn't have a ride in the race made it easy. ”

He continued “She was impressive the other day at Epsom. She has had a good winter and come to herself well.  We said after the Coronation Cup we were going to go to the Eclipse and that remains the plan. She is coming back to a mile and a quarter but [Sandown] should suit her as she won her novice there in good style so she has been round there before.”

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Holding Out For a Hero

ASCOT, UK–Even before the action was underway on Gold Cup day, there appeared to be entertainment aplenty for the King and Queen. Sir Mark Prescott had managed to book the royal version of speedy boarding and was positioned in the first carriage with their majesties for the royal procession. This may well have been a strategic move from them in the middle of a week which requires plenty of stamina, with two processions still to come. It's a long ride by horse-drawn carriage from Windsor Great Park to Ascot Racecourse and who better to entertain the royal party than racing's finest raconteur, who also shares the King and Queen's love of hunting? Indeed, as the carriages came into view on the big screen it certainly appeared to be Sir Mark that was holding court, much to the obvious enjoyment of his carriage companions.

William Haggas had been in the royal procession on Wednesday and he put his name back on the invitation list for next year by becoming the first trainer to provide the King and Queen with a winner at Royal Ascot in the King George V S., named after the present monarch's great grandfather.

Bred by the late Queen, Desert Hero (GB) hails from a family which has been well represented at the royal meeting in recent years. His dam Desert Breeze (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a full-sister to the G2 Hardwicke S. winner Dartmouth (GB), who appeared at Royal Ascot in three consecutive years, and both siblings were gifted to the Queen by their breeder Sheikh Mohammed.

The 'new Ascot', as old-timers still like to call it, can feel a little devoid of atmosphere on occasion, even on the big occasion, but not so for a royal winner. Every step, every balcony and every tier was stuffed with racegoers cheering in Desert Hero and Tom Marquand, as the King and Queen, accompanied by the Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Tindall, arrived in the winner's enclosure.

“This is what it's all about for us, and when you are given the privilege of training some horses for the late Queen and The King and Queen, it's an honour,” said Haggas.

“They have been looking forward to Royal Ascot for a long time and they hoped to have as many runners as possible. I think they will be absolutely delighted. It's very important for horseracing, but it's also important that the King and Queen enjoy it, which they clearly appear to do. Long may that continue.”

It didn't take long, however, for the King to have his thunder stolen by the upstager-in-chief, Lanfranco Dettori. With the quality of horses on offer from Wathnan Racing, the breakthrough owners on the scene who have made quite a splash this week, Dettori will certainly be enjoying this new, albeit brief, association.

Wathnan Racing is the operational name for the horses owned by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whose brother Sheikh Joaan is already a familiar face on the international racing scene as the principal of Al Shaqab Racing and owner of Haras de Bouquetot.

First, Gregory (GB) gave the team the Queen's Vase, only for Courage Mon Ami (GB) to plunder an even bigger prize 24 hours later after an epic stretch battle with the plucky Coltrane (Ire) in the Gold Cup. What these hugely exciting emerging stayers have in common, as well as being trained by John and Thady Gosden, is that their Royal Ascot victories were both their first runs in the colours of Wathnan Racing.

Courage Mon Ami was bred and raced until recently by Anthony Oppenheimer of Hascombe and Valiant Studs, who was also the breeder of Gregory's sire Golden Horn (GB). Gregory represents Philippa Cooper's Normandie Stud and a family which has been replete with quality stayers over the years. While the latter has the target of the St Leger, the four-year-old Courage Mon Ami, similarly unbeaten, has announced his presence at the top of the staying division having arrived in the Gold Cup straight from a Goodwood handicap. This he won a day after Gregory landed the Cocked Hat Stakes at the same course.

“It's a wonderful day for Hascombe and Valiant,” said Oppenheimer as he congratulated the horse's new connections by the winner's circle.

“We're very pleased. We've got plenty of the family. We very nearly retired him before he ran because he was so big, but he had those two fantastic races last year when he won by about ten lengths.”

As Oppenheimer watched the presentation, made by the King to Courage Mon Ami's new owners, he was joined by Jayne McGivern, who now owns Golden Horn, having bought him last year to stand at Overbury Stud, where he has covered 184 mares this season.

“Your horse is doing very well!” Oppenheimer said to McGivern with a grin. “I'm very pleased with Golden Horn, he's doing much better than ever before. I have a couple of really nice horses by him coming up.”

While Courage Mon Ami's victory means that the extraordinary Frankel (GB) has been represented by a Group 1 winner on every day of Royal Ascot so far, from a mile to two and a half miles, it cannot be overlooked that Oppenheimer has enjoyed great success in the past with another of his sons, Cracksman (GB). Now a Darley second-season stallion, Cracksman is responsible for one of the most exciting three-year-old colts of the season in the Prix du Jockey Club winner Ace Impact (Fr).

Olly Tait of Australia's Twin Hills Stud and his old friend Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock have been charged with the advising and buying duties for the Qatari-based Wathnan Racing, and both have passed with flying colours in delivering on their brief.

“I was asked to buy some proper horses who could go to the big meetings and compete in the big races, and this is as big as it gets,” said Brown. “Olly is the advisor for Wathnan Racing, which was the leading stable in Qatar over the winter. He approached me and said that they were interested in buying a few horses. I obviously jumped at the opportunity. I've know Olly for 25 years. We actually lived next to each other in Newmarket when we first there in about 1998. The opportunity to work with him was extraordinary. We haven't bought very many, we've been very selective, but there are a couple more to come out.”

There is just one part of the brief that Tait and Brown may struggle to adhere to if the current level of success continues.

Brown added, “The owners want to be under the radar slightly, though I think the last two days has just blown that apart, but they are private people. It was just a case of getting started with a few horses and this has been a dream start.”

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