Tag Archive for: John and Thady Gosden

Queen For You puts lofty reputation on the line at York

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Queen For You created a deep impression when scoring on debut at Ascot but now faces a real fight to wear the crown at York on Friday, as a stellar cast has assembled for the Oaks Farm Stables Fillies’ Stakes.

John and Thady Gosden’s daughter of Kingman is out of Fallen For You – a Coronation Stakes winner for the Clarehaven yard – and is a half-sister to six-time Group winner Glorious Journey, so is clearly bred to be a smart operator.

The manner of her two-length success, in what appeared a decent maiden, suggests she is on track to become an above-average filly herself.

She is pitched into Listed company for just her second start, a path taken by her training team in the past, including last year when they saddled the runner-up Grande Dame.

Thady Gosden said: “She won nicely first time out at Ascot and was a little green, which she was entitled to be

“She seems to have come forward for the run and although it is a big jump up into Listed company, we’d be hopeful. It is a much more competitive race and a step up in class, but we hope she will do herself justice.”

Equally impressive in her first start was Charlie Appleby’s Silver Lady, who romped the best part of four lengths clear of the opposition at Newmarket last month.

The form of that race was given a timely boost when the third scored at Beverley earlier this week and the daughter of Sea The Stars, who is out of Group One winner Lumiere, looks packed with potential ahead of this contest, better known as the Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes.

Silver Lady looked a smart prospect at Newmarket
Silver Lady looked a smart prospect at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Appleby said: “Silver Lady was impressive on her debut at Newmarket and came out of the race well.

“We feel that this is the right next step to test her credentials ahead of the summer.”

Sir Michael Stoute won this 10 years ago with Pavlosk, and looks to repeat the dose with Stormy Sea, who built on an encouraging Kempton bow at two when returning to the track at Haydock recently.

A half-sister to the Freemason Lodge handler’s Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge, she surged over four lengths clear in her first try over a mile at the Lancashire track and now Ryan Moore takes over in the saddle.

“I haven’t ridden her on the track but she clearly did it very well on her return at Haydock and I’d expect this half-sister to Bay Bridge to be featuring here,” the jockey told Betfair.

“That said, it is clearly a very competitive race full of similarly unexposed fillies of potential, so I imagine a few will be fancying their chances.”

Sir Michael Stoute seeks victory with Stormy Sea
Sir Michael Stoute seeks victory with Stormy Sea (Mike Egerton/PA)

Representing Jessica Harrington, Sounds Of Heaven brings smart form from Ireland to the table, while Ralph Beckett’s Juliet Sierra has to concede 5lb to all rivals following her victory in the Group Three Dick Poole Stakes at two. She is the most experienced runner in the field and also the only one to run in Group One company.

“It’s an extremely hot race and the initial plan with Juliet Sierra was to go to the 1000 Guineas and we were just not happy with her scope the week before, so we gave her a quiet week the week of the Guineas,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“To be honest, options are few and far between and she carries a penalty for her Group Three win at Salisbury last year.

“You would prefer to be running a nice filly like her without a penalty and maybe starting off at seven (furlongs) and working up to a mile, but when you go through the programme book, it was hard to find a race.

“We’re starting there, she’s fit and well and a filly we like. I wouldn’t be confident giving a penalty to some of the fillies in that race, like the Appleby and Gosden fillies, but she is a nice filly and we’re hopeful she will run a nice race.”

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum is well represented with both Kevin Ryan’s Glenlaurel and Andrew Balding’s Clochette lining up in the yellow silks with black spots, while William Haggas is another double-handed in the contest as he saddles both the reappearing Newmarket two-year-old winner Orchid Bloom and eye-catching Newbury maiden scorer Fakhama.

Connections have high hopes for the latter, with Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, saying: “She is nice. She won first time at Newbury. She is very well bred – a beautiful filly. I’ll be disappointed if she doesn’t go on.”

Middleton a ‘good starting point’ for Free Wind

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Free Wind will bid to justify the decision to supplement her for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes when she lines up at York on Thursday.

It cost connections £11,200 to add the daughter of Galileo to the 10-furlong event and she now has the chance to scoop her third success at Group Two level.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden she was seen just once last season, when galloping to victory in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock in July, where a bump she received in running did enough to subsequently curtail her campaign.

She now drops back in trip on her return, attempting to enhance a fine record of five wins from just seven starts.

“She has shown good form over a mile and a half to a mile and six (furlongs), but York is a nice, galloping track and we feel it is a good place to start her off,” said Thady Gosden.

“She won up at Haydock, but during the race she got squeezed up on the rail and unfortunately it affected the rest of the season for her.

“But she has been good at home, she has won five out of six on the turf and she has enough speed to win over 10 furlongs. She has always had plenty of ability and this will tell us more where she goes afterwards.”

Aristia (right) finishing second in the Middleton Stakes in 2022
Aristia (right) finishing second in the Middleton Stakes in 2022 (Tim Goode/PA)

Richard Hannon’s Aristia is the only Group One winner in the line-up, having taken the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville last season. She also has a fine record here on the Knavesmire and finished second in this contest 12 months ago.

On that occasion Aristia had to play second fiddle to William Haggas’ Lilac Road and this time the Somerville Lodge handler is represented by Sea Silk Road, who has some smart form to her name including when finishing second in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last term.

One of the most intriguing runners in the field is Toskana Belle, last year’s German Oaks heroine, who now begins life in the care of Roger Varian.

As well as Classic success at Dusseldorf, the four-year-old also went down narrowly in the Grade Three Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct when trained by Andreas Wohler, and Varian is keen to see his new recruit step out onto the racecourse in the UK for the first time.

He said: “She’s a nice filly and has been working well. She has some strong three-year-old form from Germany and America last year, and we’re looking forward to getting her started.

“I think 10 furlongs on a track like York is a nice starting point for her and will give us a good direction moving forwards.”

Rogue Millennium caught the eye when a staying-on third in the Prix Allez France at ParisLongchamp and represents Tom Clover, while Ryan Moore gets the leg up aboard Ralph Beckett’s State Occasion, who was a track and trip scorer in a handicap here during last year’s Ebor Festival.

“She is the lowest-rated in here, but what she does have going for her is her best performance came over course and distance last season and she likes decent ground,” the jockey told Betfair.

State Occasion on her way to winning the Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap at York
State Occasion on her way to winning the Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

“She also goes well when fresh, so if she is primed for this, perhaps more so than the others, then she is not without a chance. She does have a tough task on what we know, though.”

Beckett added: “She is ready for it and she likes the track and the trip. It will be tough, but she’s ready for it.”

Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert and Karl Burke’s Poptronic complete the eight-strong field.

Queen Anne the target for reappearance of Inspiral

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Inspiral will head straight to Royal Ascot after bypassing the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

The Group One-winning filly, trained by John and Thady Gosden, had topped the ante-post market for the Group One mile contest at the Berkshire track.

However, she was a surprise omission for the feature event at the confirmation stage on Monday.

Owned by Cheveley Park Stud, the daughter of Frankel won the Coronation Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marois in her three-year-old campaign, adding to her success in the Fillies’ Mile as a juvenile.

While the Gosdens will instead be represented by Laurel, who is one of 16 possibles for the race won by the brilliant Baaeed last season, Inspiral will make a belated four-year-old debut.

Cheveley Park Stud’s managing director Chris Richardson explained: “There is no issue with her. Mrs Thompson was adamant that she wanted the filly to go straight to Royal Ascot, as we did last year.

“She looks great, but she is not quite there, is the general feeling. It is like last year, so rather than rush her, we decided to wait.

“It has been cold and miserable and it has just taken time for these fillies to come to themselves.

“We just felt she blossomed in June last year and we didn’t really want to rush her, so the Queen Anne will be her likely target.”

New Gosden recruit Zellie makes British bow at Goodwood

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Zellie will make her debut for John and Thady Gosden in the William Hill Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday.

Formerly trained by Andre Fabre, the daughter of Wootton Bassett was a four-time winner at two including when landing the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day in 2021.

However, she failed to reach the same heights at three and although a more than respectable fourth behind Cachet when making the trip to Newmarket for the 1000 Guineas, she was well held in both the Prix de Diane and in her final start of 2022 in the Prix du Ranelagh.

Switched to Clarehaven in the off season, she is now handed a Listed assignment over a mile on reappearance, with connections looking forward to seeing what their new recruit has to offer.

“She has some very good form in the past. She was fourth in the Guineas last year and it is obviously her first run for us,” said Thady Gosden.

“It’s a very competitive race and Potapova is a very smart filly who ran well throughout last year. But it’s a nice place to start her over a mile.

“She has some good form, but it is her first run of the year and we’ll have to see how she gets on.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Potapova proved highly consistent last term, finishing second to the reopposing Roman Mist in the Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes before filling the same position in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom and going on to land the Atalanta Stakes later in the year.

Potapova (right) finishing second at Epsom last summer
Potapova (right) finishing second at Epsom last summer (John Walton/PA)

This one-mile distance appears her optimum, while it is also the yardage Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Lightship has thrived over of late – winning two Kempton handicaps before chasing home the high-class Laurel at the Sunbury track when chanced at Listed level.

Richard Hughes’ Candle Of Hope blew away the cobwebs in the talkSPORT Spring Cup Stakes at Lingfield in March and is one of two runners for the King on coronation day, with Henry Candy’s Araminta completing the line up, thrown in at the deep end by her handler following an impressive display at Newbury on debut.

“It was one of those days at Newbury when you couldn’t really trust the results. It was really specialist ground and she coped with it well,” said Candy.

“I do think she is a nice filly, but I think the opposition is pretty strong and will have much more experience than her. We’re just dipping our toe in the water. There aren’t too many opportunities, so we thought we would give it a go.”

Saga and Hope aiming to crown racing’s coronation celebrations

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Coronation fever heads to the racecourse on Saturday where only a few hours after the King is crowned in Westminster Abbey, two runners will attempt to carry his colours to a fitting success.

It had been hoped the King would have a runner in the 2000 Guineas in scenes reminiscent of 1953 when, just days after her coronation, the late Queen’s Aureole took part in the Derby at Epsom.

However, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Slipofthepen will instead be aimed at the French version of the one-mile Classic with hopes of a coronation winner resting on Clarehaven’s Saga in Newmarket’s Howden Suffolk Stakes and Richard Hughes’ Candle Of Hope, who will bid for Listed honours in the William Hill Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.

Candle Of Hope before the Denford Stakes at Newbury last year
Candle Of Hope before the Denford Stakes at Newbury last year (Steve Paston/PA)

The daughter of Cable Bay was beaten less than two lengths in her reappearance at Lingfield and John Warren, racing manager to the King and Queen, is hoping the stars will align and add to the coronation celebrations.

He said: “Candle Of Hope is a tough, genuine filly who will probably be at her best when the ground is quick.

“Their majesties will obviously be overwhelmed with events, but they are fully aware of what their horses are doing.

“All we can hope is that we get a little luck that could add to a wonderfully historic weekend.”

The King and the Queen Consort watch the action at Royal Ascot
The King and the Queen Consort watch the action at Royal Ascot (Aaron Chown/PA)

Saga, meanwhile, came close to providing the late Queen with a final Royal Ascot victory when beaten a head in the Britannia Stakes in the summer and will attempt to go one better when he reunites with Frankie Dettori for the competitive Rowley Mile handicap at 3.55pm.

“He went very close in the Britannia and has always been a horse with plenty of ability,” said Thady Gosden.

“Stepping up in trip on his last start of last year he ran well, he wasn’t beaten a long way and he seems to have done well over the winter.

“He’s been gelded since and it’s a fairly sharp one-mile-one at Newmarket. Obviously it is a very competitive field and there’s a couple of near enough Group horses in there, so we will have to see how he gets on.”

Classic ticket in Coppice’s sights at Newmarket

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Frankie Dettori gets the leg-up on Coppice when she puts her Qipco 1000 Guineas aspirations to the test in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, she is a full -sister to Clarehaven’s Coventry winner Calyx and created a taking impression when scoring on debut at Kempton last October.

A general 7-1 chance for the fillies’ Classic on May 7, connections are now keen to see if she can make the leap from maiden company to Group level in this seven-furlong assignment.

“She’s a lovely filly and won her maiden very well at the back-end of last year on the all-weather,” said Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte.

“She’s wintered well and the team at Clarehaven are happy with her. She’s a full-sister to Calyx and it’s a good family – there’s plenty of speed in the family.

“She has the double-edged sword of stepping out of maiden company and her first time on grass, which is never ideal. But she is a nice filly and hopefully she can run a good race that might lead us to a Classic somewhere if she runs well.

“We’re on a learning mission with her to see where her ability lies and with it being her first start on grass, it will be interesting.”

Coppice is joined by stablemate and Kempton scorer Inner Space – who is the mount of Robert Havlin – while Charlie Appleby’s Fairy Cross completed a fine two-year-old campaign by beating a useful cast to claim the Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.

Fairy Cross (centre) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood
Fairy Cross (centre) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

The daughter of Dubawi had to settle for second behind Mawj in Dubai most recently, but the Moulton Paddocks handler is confident of a bold show on the Rowley Mile.

“I’m pleased with her,” he told www.godolphin.com. “She’s come forward for that last run and she has done well at home. She should be a key player in the Nell Gwyn.”

Girl Racer won on her only start to date and looks an exciting prospect for William Haggas and owners Barnane Stud, while Clive Cox’s Karsavina holds a similar profile having won a soft ground maiden over track and trip at the back-end of last term.

“She really impressed with her maiden success over course and distance last autumn,” said Cox.

“She’s a filly that has strengthened over the winter and we’re pleased that she has done well and given us every indication she has taken a step forwards, so we’re looking forward to coming back to Newmarket.

“She coped well with conditions last autumn and course and distance form is quite valuable. We like her and it’s a wonderful starting point for the season.”

George Boughey won this last year with Cachet en route to picking up the first Classic of his career with the filly in the 1000 Guineas and will be hoping lightning strikes twice for himself and owners Highclere with Believing.

The Mehmas filly was last seen finishing third in the Bosra Sham over six furlongs last October and is one of two in this Group Three contest for the Saffron House handler alongside stable newcomer Queen Olly – who was a place ahead of Believing in second last time and represents Amo Racing.

“She won well on debut at York last year and then ran well at Ascot. She never really ran a bad race last year, barring Goodwood, and finished off her season well in the Bosra Sham over six furlongs,” explained Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for Amo.

“George is happy with her and the soft seven furlongs should suit – she likes cut in the ground so it looks ideal for her.”

Queen Olly returns to the winner's enclosure at York (
Queen Olly returns to the winner’s enclosure at York (Nick Robson/PA)

Amo Racing are also represented by Richard Hannon’s Mammas Girl, who is as big as 50-1 for the the 1000 Guineas, but produced an eye-catching display when romping home in a Newmarket maiden on debut.

“It makes sense to come here. She won over course and distance very impressively at the back end of last year,” continued Pennington.

“She was visually good. She was keen early, got into a bit of trouble in running – the others got first run and Sean (Levey) had to pull her wide – but the turn of foot she showed was pretty special and as Richard always says, for one of his to win first time they have to be quite good.

“The form of that race hasn’t really been tested yet but Richard is happy with her and she is showing all the right signs. She may come on for the run though I would say.”

Dettori kicks off final British campaign at Newmarket

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Frankie Dettori could be the star of the show on the opening day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting as he begins his final domestic campaign in the saddle.

The evergreen Italian announced his intention to hang up his boots following one last season in December and has since embarked on something of a world tour, spending Christmas and the early part of 2023 riding in the United States, with fleeting appearances at events such as the Saudi Cup and Meydan’s World Cup night.

He is now back in Newmarket as this season’s Classic contenders prepare to step out in the various trials and Dettori could hit the ground running on day one of three on the Rowley Mile.

The 52-year-old’s first taste of the action will be in the Close Brothers Handicap where he will don the royal blue silks of Godolphin aboard John and Thady Gosden’s Unforgotten, while he looks to have a fine chance of getting on the scoreboard with hot Clarehaven prospect Covey in the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes.

The Frankel colt bumped into the Greenham-bound Zoology when going down by a neck on debut at Southwell and Barry Mahon, of owners Juddmonte, believes he could develop into a smart colt this term.

He said: “You don’t expect to run into a 90-something rated horse in a novice at Southwell, but unfortunately he bumped into one.

“He ran Zoology all the way to the line, it was a big run and hopefully he can improve.

“I think he can be a very nice horse. He has always been a very impressive physical, he was just a bit immature last year.

“He was prone to respiratory infections and a couple of times when he was close to the races, he would give a few coughs and he just never made it to the track for that reason. I do think he can develop into a nice colt.”

On the return of Dettori, Mahon added: “The main man is back from California. He has had a good winter out there and rode plenty of winners and hopefully he is looking forward to being back here and getting going again.”

In the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes – the feature of the seven-race card – Dettori will partner the King’s Reach For The Moon as he makes his return.

Frankie Dettori will again ride Reach For The Moon - here winning The bet365 EBF Novice Stakes at Newbury Racecourse
Frankie Dettori will again ride Reach For The Moon – here winning The bet365 EBF Novice Stakes at Newbury Racecourse (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Once thought of as a Derby candidate, the Gosden-trained four-year-old has been gelded over the winter following an interrupted 2022 which saw the son of Sea The Stars hit the track on just three occasions.

He reappears sporting first-time blinkers with connections looking forward to the run.

“We are pleased with how Reach For The Moon has wintered and we are hoping for a bold show,” said the King’s racing manager John Warren.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s unbeaten Poker Face is the likely favourite for the Group Three contest, but it is no surprise that the first meeting of the year at Newmarket sees strong Godolphin representation in the form of Charlie Appleby’s course winner Ottoman Fleet and stablemate Blue Trail.

“Ottoman Fleet ran very consistently in Dubai, being placed in all his starts, and he’s come back in great shape. He’s a past winner on the Rowley Mile and he’s got to have a good chance.” the Moulton Paddocks handler told www.godolphin.com.

“Blue Trail was last seen winning emphatically by 11 lengths at Meydan and we know he’s a horse with an engine. If he can put it all together, he has the ability to win a race such as this.”

Slipofthepen emerges as potential Classic horse for the King

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The King may have a Classic contender on his hands in the John and Thady Gosden-trained Slipofthepen, who overcame trouble in running and a shade of immaturity to land a taking success at Kempton.

Bred by the late Queen, the Night Of Thunder colt followed up his cosy mile debut victory in November with another eyecatching display over course and distance in the Join Racing TV Now Conditions Stakes.

Trapped in last place turning for home, jockey James Doyle had to remain patient aboard the flashy chestnut with four white socks – who also runs in the name of the Queen Consort – before producing the 8-11 favourite approaching two furlongs from home.

And once he did, Slipofthepen cruised past his four rivals on the bridle, his long stride putting a length and a quarter between him and Ensued at the line.

Thady Gosden said: “It was a very pleasing run. He did it nicely and stretched out well on the bridle. It worked out well.

“Obviously there is a very strong headwind today, which makes it harder for them to quicken up and they are not finishing as they normally would.

“He got lit up, but then relaxed well. He did well and seemed well after the race. He has a lot of class about him.”

James Doyle returns aboard Slipofthepen
James Doyle returns aboard Slipofthepen (Jockey Club)

Coral cut Slipofthepen to 16-1 for the Derby and the 2000 Guineas – which takes place on the weekend of the King’s coronation – and asked if he was a potential Classic prospect, Gosden added: “We will see how he comes out of the race, but it is possible he will be going in that direction.

“He looks a miler and we think something like the St James’s Palace Stakes might be the race for him further down the line. As for a Classic trial, we will see.”

Gosden senior said: “This horse I think is a miler. He feels and trains like a miler. He has a high cruising speed and a good turn of foot. Whether he goes to a Guineas it is a little bit premature to be talking about that.

The late Queen with John Gosden and Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot
The late Queen with John Gosden and Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“For a Guineas you need a bundle of experience and he has gained some today. We will just see how he is the next 10 days and make some decisions.”

“That (St James’s Palace) is a race I very much have in mind for him. Either you decide you want to go for the Guineas, or the Heron Stakes and the St James’s Palace Stakes.

“Those are the two routes and I’ve had lot of good luck winning the St James’s Palace going from the Heron. Everything is open for discussion and the horse will tell us how he is over the next few days and we can make our mind up from there.”

Running Lion had earlier made it three wins from three on all-weather surfaces when comfortably taking the Racing TV Fillies’ Conditions Stakes, sparking a double for the co-trainers.

The daughter of four-time Grade One winner Roaring Lion, who was likewise trained by the Gosdens, had been beaten on her seven-furlong turf debut in July, yet had subsequently won twice with ease over a mile in novice events once switched to the all-weather, and duly made it a hat-trick on her three-year-old debut.

The 6-4 favourite, ridden by Oisin Murphy, tracked the early pace set by Rainbow Sky and Ellexis and once making her challenge at the cut-away, she was always holding the late challenge from Dancing Goddess to score by a length.

Running Lion was cut to 16-1 (from 20-1) for the 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power, who also clipped her to 33s (from 100-1) for the Oaks.

Thady Gosden said: “That was good for her first start of the season. Obviously she won a decent enough race before.

“It was a lovely run. She tries hard and is a tough filly.

“She has got the speed for the mile, but obviously Roaring Lion won over a mile and a quarter, so we’d like to think this filly will stay that sort of trip in the future.”

Action Point produced a similarly impressive winning debut for trainer Archie Watson in the five-furlong Racing TV/EBF Restricted Novice Stakes.

Hollie Doyle’s mount broke smartly and the 11-10 favourite showed a neat turn of foot to put the race to bed, holding off the persistent challenge of fellow newcomer Ponga and a late thrust from eyecatcher Anfaal, was also making her debut.

The length-and-a-quarter victory was a first for sire Blue Point, a four-time Group One-winning sprinter for Charlie Appleby.

Max Mayhem (15-2) overcame a wide draw to land a competitive renewal of the Racing TV-sponsored Rosebery Handicap under in-form 3lb claimer Benoit De La Sayette.

The Kevin Philippart De Foy-trained five-year-old, who was sold out of Joseph O’Brien’s yard for 42,000 guineas in October, was having his first start for connections.

He showed plenty of grit to down HMS President by half a length, with Jewel In My Crown coming from an almost impossible position to grab third in a bunch finish for the minor honours.

Mostahdaf team eyeing distance switch for Dubai fourth

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Mostahdaf is likely to be dropped back to 10 furlongs when he returns to action following a respectable effort when up against Japanese superstar Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

John and Thady Gosden’s five-year-old produced a career best to win the mile-and-a-quarter Neom Turf Cup in tremendous fashion in February.

But he had the misfortune of bumping into Tetsuya Kimura’s ultra-impressive colt when upped to a mile and a half at Meydan, paying the price for trying to match strides with Equinox and fading into fourth in the World Cup night Group One.

Having secured £750,000 for his Riyadh success and topped that up with a further £250,000 for finishing fourth in Dubai, the son of Frankel is now enjoying a well-earned rest before recommencing battle on home soil later in the summer.

“He bumped into a monster and I thought he ran a great race,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, when reflecting on Mostahdaf’s exploits in the early part of 2023.

“He probably paid the price for chasing the winner off the bend late on and faded to fourth. The winner was that good he just went right away and our horse tried to go with him off the bend and paid for that.

“I think we will probably drop him back in trip in time to a mile and a quarter. He has plenty of pace, as we saw in Saudi the time before.

“I spoke to John (Gosden) and he seemed very happy with the horse and he seems to have come out of the race in really good shape. We’ll just freshen him up, give him a little break and hopefully have him back mid-summer.

“He’s done us proud and has earned £1million before the season has started over here.”

Although there may be few secrets left to discover about Mostahdaf, there is plenty to learn about his half-brother Mostabshir in the coming months.

Also trained by the Gosdens, the Dark Angel colt is nearing a return following a taking debut at Kempton in November and is a possible for a Guineas trial in the next couple of weeks if continuing to please connections.

“We’re happy with him so far and he will probably run during that Craven week, either at Newmarket or Newbury,” continued Gold.

“We will just see nearer the time if that will be the Craven Stakes or the conditions race there (Newmarket), or even the Greenham.

“But we will see how he is doing and whether we want to start him off a bit easier than that, or if everyone is happy with him and we go for a trial.

“He’s won his only start and he’s potentially nice, but now we have to see the next step.”

Theoryofeverything impresses on Doncaster debut

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Theoryofeverything could be set for bigger and better things following an impressive debut at Doncaster.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt is by Frankel out of the Group One-winning mare Persuasive and was bought for 325,000 guineas as a yearling.

Sent off the 100-30 second favourite in the hands of Rab Havlin on Town Moor, he looked to have his dam’s love of soft ground, as following a slow start, he ate up the ground to join the leaders approaching a furlong out before scorching clear to register a taking six-length success.

Connections are now likely to search for similar conditions for his next outing, with the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury on April 22 mooted as a possible option.

“Considering he had quite a bad break and from where he ended up, he had quite a lot of ground to make up. He relished the ground conditions and I suspect the trainer will try to find somewhere with similar ground for his next start,” said Ted Voute, racing advisor for Theoryofeverything’s owner Prince Faisal.

“That will probably be Newbury I would say, as that often comes up softer than Newmarket and I suspect we will look for a spot with similar ground.

“I hope the trainer might consider the Greenham. I think that might be the logical next step and there’s also maybe a couple of races in France where we might have a chance of the ground coming up a bit softer.”

He went on: “We would have to supplement into a Classic, but his next run might show us a bit more and whether that is worthwhile or not.

“Otherwise the Prix Jean Prat and St James’s Palace Stakes are the other two we might look at, but they are in drier weather times and it could be the case we might have to hang on to him for the back-end and trying to find some Group Ones and keep entering until we get the right ground. He looks exciting.”

Kevin Ryan’s Aleezdancer (9-2 favourite) landed a gamble in good style in the Mental Health Awareness Handicap, relishing the testing conditions to win by a cosy two and a half lengths.

“The ground is vital to him,” said Ryan.

“We had a very frustrating year with him last year, albeit he won something – every time we had him ready for something the ground had gone.

Beverley Races – Tuesday May 11th 2021
Aleezdancer ridden by Kevin Stott on their way to winning the Racing TV Novice Stakes at Beverley racecourse last year (Mike Egerton/PA)

“He’s just very effective on that surface and we’re delighted that he got his head in front again.

“We’ll have to see what the handicapper does and he’ll have to take into consideration he has handled this ground better than most. So hopefully he is not too harsh on him and we’ll have to wait for similar conditions again. The ground will dictate where he runs.”

Charlie Fellowes’ Gorak (9-2 favourite) was equally impressive when obliging favouritism in the Music Live @ Doncaster Racecourse Handicap and there was no catching Bucephalus (12-1) in the Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap on his first start for Neil Mulholland.

Well-known fundraiser Jack Lander secured his second victory in the saddle when partnering Liam Bailey’s Clansman (15-2) to victory in the opening Flat Is Back At Doncaster Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, while there was also an easy success for David Evans’ There’s The Door (15-2) in the Autism In Racing Handicap.