Newbury Saturday

Boylesports Lockinge Stakes (Group 1)

LEAD Artist (John & Thady Gosden/Oisin Murphy) got the better of a fine tussle with Dancing Gemini (Roger Teal/Ryan Moore) in the Group 1 Boylesports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last Saturday, winning by a neck at an SP of 17/2, having come in for significant support on the day.

Murphy was taking over in the saddle from the demoted Kieran Shoemark and gave Lead Artist a well-judged ride, racing just off the early gallop set by Fallen Angel and Persica, with the pace by no means strong.

Ryan Moore produced Dancing Gemini with what appeared a winning run with a furlong to go, but Lead Artist – clearly benefitting greatly from a run in the Bet365 Mile at Sandown, rallied in splendid fashion to regain the lead late and prevail by a small margin, with Rosallion (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) a further two and a quarter lengths behind in third.

Murphy, riding his first winner of the Lockinge, said of the winner: “I was really taken aback by him. He has a great demeanour and he relaxed well. He showed a lot of guts against the second horse, Dancing Gemini, who came into the race in great form.

“I hope everyone at Newbury enjoyed that tussle to the line and I’m delighted to have come out on top.

First for Juddmonte

“He had a lot of stable support and they were very confident. They did a great job preparing him and I’m delighted. It has been a while since I won a Group 1 for the Clarehaven Stables team and it is my first Group 1 victory for Juddmonte.

“They had confidence in their horse and they were able to allow me a free rein and it worked out.”

John Gosden looked back to his run in the Bet365 Mile, and ahead to a possible bid for the Queen Anne Stakes on the Tuesday of Royal Ascot, saying: “He had been working at home fine, but a lot of it was on the all-weather as it had been so dry. He just plain blew up [at Sandown].

“He came with a nice run, but he just blew up at the furlong pole and Kieran looked after him which was great. He has trained nicely for here and this is his ground.

“He likes summer fast ground and he showed it today. He is a powerful horse with a lot of speed.

“This was a test of a mile. Ryan has come to us and this horse is getting the mile at the pace he wants. If they had gone steady and sprinted it was a different ball game.

“If the ground is fine, he will be going to the Queen Anne. When you look at the build of him and the way he is made, he is a Dubawi with a very powerful shoulder to him.

“I think a mile and a quarter will be too much distance for him. He has so much natural speed that the last thing he needs [is] to be going a mile and a quarter with an uphill finish. He is just a fast horse and the stiff mile of Ascot is what will suit him best.”

LIGHTLY raced and seemingly hard to keep sound since winning the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket in 2022, when also fourth in the 2,000 Guineas, the Prince Faisal-owned Eydon (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) belatedly built on that promise when winning the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes.

They led two furlongs out to beat Tabletalk (Tom Clover/Rossa Ryan) comfortably by a length and a quarter. The 16/1 shot was showing marked improvement from his return in the Winter Derby Trial at Southwell in January.

Ted Voute, Prince Faisal’s racing adviser, said: “Straight afterwards, the prince mentioned the Hardwicke and Andrew mentioned the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He can’t do both, as they’re about a week apart.

“The reason the prince has been so patient with him is because he wants to continue the [Olden Times] sire line and stand him as a private stallion and continue the line with some broodmares.

“Obviously to do that he wants to try and win at the highest level and, as he hasn’t been that sound – this is the first time we’ve really had a good run into a race – I think France would be the choice. It would be a nicer track for him rather than a bit of an uphill climb at Ascot.

“The prince will decide that with Andrew in due course. The horse was as sound as a pound on Sunday and lost seven kilos, so everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that we can have a bash at the highest level sooner rather than later. He’s a very big horse, that’s half the problem, but maybe we’ve turned the corner with the soundness issues.”

Honour holds sway

There will be no bid for the Commonwealth Cup for Listed Carnarvon Stakes winner Symbol Of Honour (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), with the gelding not qualified for that Group 1 contest, but the way he beat race favourite Ides Of March (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) suggests he could be a force to reckon with in the better six-furlong contests this summer, with his length and three-quarter success bringing his record at the trip to four wins from five starts.

Immediate plans are on hold for the son of Havana Grey, with his trainer scotching the idea of a tilt at the Jersey Stakes, saying: “Dropping back to six furlongs has been the making of Symbol Of Honour. Physically and mentally, he’s doing well but where we go now, I’m not sure.

“He’s not a horse for the Jersey Stakes because I don’t think he saw that trip out last time. He’s a strong traveller and it’s good to get him back on track.”

THE Listed Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial – named after the stud made famous by Jack Barnato Joel and his son “Gentleman” Jim Joel, and now owned by Paul and Sally Flatt, saw the sponsors’ colours carried by Wonder Star. However, victory went to Qilin Queen (Ed Walker/Hollie Doyle), who confirmed Pretty Polly form with Sand Gazelle (John & Thady Gosden/Oisin Murphy), the pair split by Revoir (Ralph Beckett/Hector Crouch), with the distances a short-head and half a length.

The winner was returned at the unusual price of 18/5 and held on gamely for a narrow win having made all the running. Her trainer confirmed that she was likely to take her chance at Epsom in the Oaks.