Roaring Lion reigns supreme
Colt powers to emphatic Juddmonte success Poet’s Word second after suffering interference
Roaring Lion struck a decisive blow for the Classic generation yesterday when he proved himself the preeminent mile and a quarter horse in Europe after running out a 3¼-length winner of the Juddmonte International at York.
However, connections of the runner-up will have left the Knavesmire believing they have some unfinished business with the winner after Poet’s Word was blocked and hemmed in at the moment critique, three furlongs out.
James Doyle has enjoyed a golden summer but little went right for him in this race and when he finally found some racing room Roaring Lion had already flown the nest.
Lester Piggott once famously mumbled: “Every year they say the three-year-olds are no good – every year they’re wrong.” Yesterday’s result will have gone some way to redressing the balance and, as winning trainer John Gosden pointed out, there were no significant older horses in the Eclipse, and no significant three-year-olds in the King George, so this was where they met.
“He had been working exceptionally well,” said Gosden. “We had a difficult spring with him. It was cold and wet, which he didn’t like. But he has got better and better and this was not a fluke.
“He rather threw away the Racing Post Trophy at two, he was not with me for the Craven or the Guineas but, my goodness, the Guineas put him right. He was last off the bridle in the Derby but didn’t stay and was the last off the bridle here. He is a mile and a quarter horse through and through and he is a better horse than when he won at Sandown [Eclipse].
“I would have been disappointed if he hadn’t run like that. I was expecting a big performance and we got one.”
The Group One winners are now beginning to flow for Oisin Murphy, who was adding the International to Roaring Lion’s Eclipse and Lightning Spear’s Sussex Stakes for his employer, Qatar Racing. However, he admitted that in believing he was on the best horse he felt more pressure in a big race than he had ever felt before.
Over the years though, as sure as eggs are eggs, he will occasionally have to endure the sort of traffic problems that Doyle encountered at the top of the straight when Thunder Snow brought them over to the stands rail and his position on the outside suddenly became a trap.
Sir Michael Stoute said: “James said it got very messy. We thought we were in a good position turning in and then we were in the worst position. The winner had gone while we were reorganising ourselves so I can only be pleased with him.”
Having supplemented Thundering Blue for £75,000 David Menuisier was delighted with the 50-1 shot’s third, half-a-length behind Poet’s Word and a 1¼ lengths in front of Saxon Warrior in fourth.
Old Persian gave Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby the “perfect” result in the Great Voltigeur after leading home his shorter-priced stable companion Cross Counter. “The winner will go to the St Leger. It wasn’t really the target for Cross Counter, but I wanted to give him a run here rather than when he is just off the plane in Australia so his next start will be in the Melbourne Cup.”