The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Gosden’s Lion roars to victory in Juddmonte
3-1 shot looks class apart with dominant York win
John Gosden was thrilled to see Roaring Lion come of age with a dominant victory in the Juddmonte International at York yesterday.
Following an odds-on reverse on his seasonal reappearance in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket in April, it would have taken a brave man to suggest he would go on to win one of the biggest prizes of the season on the Knavesmire, but he has proved a triumph of Gosden’s patience.
An impressive display in the Dante Stakes over this course and distance in May was sandwiched by admirable Classic efforts in the 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby and he had enjoyed a midseason break since toughing out victory in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in early July.
He was a 3-1 shot for what looked a stellar renewal of this 10-furlong showpiece, with Sir Michael Stoute’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes and King George hero Poet’s Word a warm order as the 8-5 favourite.
However, while Poet’s Word’s supporters will think he may have finished closer but for encountering traffic problems, Roaring Lion was in a class of his own on the day as he came home three and a quarter lengths clear in the hands of a jubilant Oisin Murphy.
Gosden said: “He’d been training exceptionally well. We’ve made no secret of the fact he worked on the July Course the other day with Rab Havlin on board and went very well.
“He’s a proper horse who has got bigger and stronger as the year has gone on.
“He’s a mile and a quarter horse through and through and I’d have been very disappointed if he hadn’t run like that today.”
Charlie Appleby has big plans for both Old Persian (7-1) and Cross Counter (6-4 favourite) after the pair finished first and second respectively in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes.
Appleby said: “Really, it couldn’t have worked out any better. I know the betting didn’t suggest that, but Old Persian can head on to the St Leger now and Cross Counter can do what we always expected him to do and go to Melbourne for the Cup.”
Phoenix Of Spain was a 9-2 winner of the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes for Charlie Hills and Jamie Spencer.