That Man John Gosden

John Gosden’s star Enable.

No joy for British trainer John Gosden when his Ebor Handicap winner Muntahaa finished only ninth to the Godolphin stayer Cross Counter in the Melbourne Cup of 3200m. “He didn’t really travel. The ground had maybe gone too soft for him,” stated jockey Jim Crowley.

However, three days earlier John Gosden was tagged ‘the coolest man in Kentucky,’ when viewing his British Horse of The Year heroine Enable take out an action-packed Breeders’ Cup Turf, literately without blinking an eyelid.

Stoned faced, with arms folded and holding his race book, John Gosden had his eyes firmly fixed on the giant in-field screed, as Enable broke evenly from Gate 2 in the 13-horse Breeders’ Cup Turf of 1½ miles at Churchill Downs.

Jockey Frankie Dettori had Enable running midfield on settling, before making ground at the half-mile, to take the lead at the two furlong pole. In racing a similar race pattern, the 3yo Irish filly Magical, ridden by Ryan Moore, raced on the inside of Enable and challenged her at the top of the straight.

In an exciting race finish the year-older Enable gained the upper-hand on the outstanding Magical, trained by Aiden O’Brien, to score by ¾ length in a time of 2m 32.65s on a good rated turf track. The Javier Castellano ridden Sadler’s Joy was some 9 lengths away in third.

In termed a record Breeders Cup event Enable went into the BC Turf having won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp four weeks earlier, and crossed the finishing line as the only Arc winner to have won a Breeders’ Cup in the same year. In 2017 Enable won her first Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but did not contest the Breeders’ Cup.

Enable is owned and bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah, and is by his home bred Nathaniel, winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, also trained by John Gosden. Also last year Enable won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks and Cheshire Oaks, in addition to the Arc.

This was John Gosden’s fifth Breeders’ Cup success having won the BC Classic with Raven’s Pass in 2008, the Juvenile Turf with Donativum in 2008 and Pounced in 2009, and in 1984 with Royal Heroine in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. This was Frankie Dettori fifteenth Breeders’ Cup success having also won this year on Expert Eye in the BC Mile for Sir Michael Stoute.

However, luck had deserted John Gosden in the very next race, the all-important Breeders’ Cup Classic of 1¼ miles with his multiple Group 1 winning 3yo colt Roaring Lion, who was having his first start on dirt even though being sired by boom US turf sire Kitten’s Joy.

In finishing last of 14 runners jockey Oisin Murphy reported that Roaring Lion received a knock at the start and showed the effects of swallowing a dirt clod in mid-race. Roaring Lion went into the Classic as the winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at the British Champion Mile two weeks earlier.

Roaring Lion now retires to his owners Qatar Racing’s Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire, having also won the Irish Champion Stakes, International Stakes and Eclipse Stakes this season. He is also in line for the British Horse of The Year honours.

Nobody can doubt that Enable’s Breeders’ Cup Turf and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victories were equally matched by John Gosden’s three victories at the British Champions Day held earlier at Ascot.

The Anthony Oppenheimer owned and bred Cracksman culminated his racing career by taking out the Champion Stakes of 1¼ miles by six lengths, ridden by Frankie Dettori. Cracksman was coming of a 2¼ length second in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, run on an unsuitable firm track, having previously won the Prix Ganay and Coronation Cup.

Rated the best of unbeaten champion Frankel’s progeny, Cracksman commences stud duties at Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket, along-side his owners Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Epsom Derby winner Golden Horn, also trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Clarehaven Stables personality horse Stradivarius completed an unbeaten season for John Gosden in taking out the 2 mile British Champions Long Distance Cup, ridden by Frankie Dettori. The winner of this seasons Ascot Gold Cup, Doncaster Cup, Yorkshire Cup and Lonsdale Cup Stradivarius is by the Arc de Triomphe and Epsom Derby winner Sea The Stars,

Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s 3yo filly Lah Ti Dah, could not improve on her English St Leger Stakes second and Galtres Stakes victory, by finishing third to Magical in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes run over 1½ miles.

Lah Ti Dah’s Dubawi sired full-brother Too Darn Hot, also from the Yorkshire Oaks winner Dah Re Mi, should be crown this season Champion British Juvenile having won the Dewhurst Stakes and Champagne Stakes, for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori.

By Bernard Kenny

 

 

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