THE LION KING
JOHN Gosden ended his hoodoo in York’s Juddmonte International when Roaring Lion mauled his rivals into submission.
The grey showed an electric turn of foot to put the Group One race to bed in a matter of strides.
Gosden famously saw hot-pot Golden Horn turned over by 50-1 shot Arabian Queen in 2015 but never had an anxious moment as Roaring Lion left hot favourite Poet’s Word and his old foe Saxon Warrior trailing to bag the £600,000 pot and plug the glaring omission on his CV. Poet’s Word met trouble in running under James Doyle but super-cool Oisin Murphy had a smooth passage on the winner.
Gosden said: “He had been working well and I was expecting a big performance. I would have been disappointed if he had not run like that.
“I had a difficult spring with him but he has got better and better. He was the last one off the bridle and this was not a fluke. He did not stay in the Derby and he is a proper 1m 2f horse.
“Today the three-year-olds met the older horses and this horse showed that he is the business over 1m 2f.
“He is a big-framed horse and I see no reason why he won’t get better. Look at Michael and the job he’s done with Poet’s Word. The truth is they reach their absolute zenith at five.”
Gosden said Roaring Lion would probably run in the Irish Champion Stakes for which he was cut to 6-4 by Paddy Power.
But he ruled out a crack at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The Breeders’ Cup Turf over 1m 4f is a possible late-season target.
Winning rider Murphy, who went on to complete a double in the last with Ginger Nut, said: “He is world class. I hope he stays sound as there are more big races to be won. I’m thrilled.”
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Roaring Lion was high class over a mile but over 10 furlongs he’s an absolute predator and it will take a fine beast to tame him at Leopardstown in the Irish Champion.
“Oisin Murphy is riding better than he has ever done in his career and this match made in heaven will be tremendously difficult to topple in Dublin.”
Sir Michael Stoute said Poet’s Word had run a ‘brave’ race after getting stuck in a pocket but would not outline future plans.