Lead Artist displayed a game attitude when battling to Group 1 success in the BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old was a 17-2 chance under Oisin Murphy, with Dancing Gemini and Rosallion the key players in the market.
The latter came home a two-and-a-quarter-length third, but Dancing Gemini fought Lead Artist all the way to the line to miss out only in the final strides as the Juddmonte-owned horse came out triumphant by a neck.
Lead Artist had finished last of eight behind Dancing Gemini on his seasonal bow in the bet365 Mile at Sandown last month, but John Gosden felt the outing had the desired effect on the Dubawi colt.
Winning connections celebrate Lead Artist’s Newbury triumph
He said: “He’s got a great deal of talent and it was a beautiful ride. It was dead ground at Sandown and he had been working at home fine but he just plain blew up, he came with a nice run but just blew up at the furlong pole and Kieran (Shoemark) looked after him.
“That race brought him on a lot and he got a peach of a ride from Oisin.
“He likes summer fast ground and he showed it here. He’s a powerful horse with a lot of speed.
“This was a real test of a mile and Ryan (Moore) has come to us and in the end this horse is getting the stiff mile at the pace they went. If they had gone steady and sprinted, it would have been a different ball game.
“Being honest, I thought we would be in the first four and I would be thrilled because there were so many good horses in it and the betting told you that. The fact he was in a position where he was able to go first, then they had to get him and then he was able to go again because he still had plenty of talent in reserve.”
Gosden added: “We will all probably meet again in the Queen Anne. It’s the next obvious step and we hope it doesn’t get wet – we don’t want a wet Ascot and if the ground is OK, we’ll be going to the Queen Anne and a stiff mile at Ascot will suit him well.”
For Murphy, it was a first Group One triumph in the Juddmonte silks and also gave him redemption for the defeat of Lightning Spear in this very race in 2018.
He said: “He has a great demeanour, relaxed well and showed a lot of guts against the second horse, Dancing Gemini, who came into the race in great form. It was a great tussle to the line and I’m delighted to come out on top.
“I was aware it might turn into a sprint and possibly if I had been beaten I would have thought I may have made more use of my horse, but fortunately it all worked out.
“The yard was very confident and they prepared him well and it is a while since I have won a Group One for Clarehaven and my first for Juddmonte.
“It means a lot and Ryan beat me in a photo finish a while back when I was on Lightning Spear, so it was nice to beat him because that is quite rare.”
Qilin Queen is Oaks bound after Trial triumph
Ed Walker is ready to “roll the dice” in the Betfred Oaks after watching Qilin Queen gamely land the Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes.
Third to Owen Burrows’ impressive scorer Falakeyah earlier in the month, a second quest for Listed honours was rewarded when the daughter of Pinatubo held off Ralph Beckett’s Nottingham winner Revoir by a short head in the hands of Hollie Doyle at odds of 18-5.
“I was actually really disappointed with the Pretty Polly. The plan was to go to the Pretty Polly then the Oaks,” said Walker.
“Owen Burrows’ filly Falakeyah is very good and obviously went strong fractions which we couldn’t live with.
“We’re keen to have a go at the Oaks with her and we thought we would come here and get some bold black type with her, which she has done and is great. I think if all is well, we will probably roll the dice at Epsom.
“She is very game and she will stay well. I’m thrilled. She is very athletic and she has got speed as well. She is not a dour stayer so I think tactically she will suit Epsom.
“She wasn’t very good in the preliminaries on 1000 Guineas day and whether it was freshness or whatever, I wanted to bring her to the racetrack again and she was much better today. She is still a bit buzzy, but that is her and her at home.
“I wouldn’t worry about it as it is just her and Oaks day is quieter than Derby day, so she will be all right.”
Symbol takes Carnarvon honours in style
Charlie Appleby will be reaching for the programme book after Symbol Of Honour bounced back to top form in the Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes.
Twice a winner over six furlongs in Dubai this winter, the son of Havana Grey tried his hand up at seven furlongs on his UK return at Newmarket when he saw his momentum checked in a deep contest.
Dropped back to six furlongs and on ideal ground, he proved a cut above the opposition in the Listed event which has often served as a stepping stone for Royal Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup.
Symbol Of Honour wins at Newbury
However, the gelded Symbol Of Honour is unable to run in that Group One event, with the alternative Jersey Stakes over the seven furlongs at the Royal meeting also ruled out by his handler.
“Dropping back to six furlongs has been the making of him and we saw him over six in Dubai and he won twice,” said Appleby.
“Some of these sprinters take a while to get the hang of it and he’s mentally doing well and physically doing well.
“Where we go, I’ll have to have a think, but he won’t be a Jersey Stakes type as at Newmarket we saw he didn’t handle the track, but more importantly just didn’t see the seven furlongs out.
“I had him pencilled as a Jersey horse after Dubai but William was adamant on the evidence of Newmarket to drop back to six and you saw there why. They’ve gone a good gallop and he’s a strong traveller – if anything William said he probably got there a bit too soon.
“It’s good to get him back on track and hopefully the trainer might now run him over the right trip.
“The conditions were here to suit him today and we were confident we just had the favourite to beat. We felt we had to find a bit to beat the favourite on bare evidence, but with some of these sprinters, some of them are still going the right way and thankfully he seems to be one that is.”
Eydon returns to winning form with Aston Park success
Eydon served a reminder of his class with an impressive victory in the Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes.
Fourth in the 2022 2000 Guineas, the son of Olden Times has had his fair share of injury problems over subsequent seasons, with this just his sixth outing since that Classic appearance three years ago.
Sent off 16-1 in the hands of Oisin Murphy, Eydon travelled well close to the pace before surging clear for taking length-and-a-quarter success, justifying his connections’ patience and booking his ticket to a Group One assignment in France in the process.
Eydon heads for home
Winning trainer Andrew Balding said: “He’s been a project – the Eydon project – and every time we felt we had him right, he has gone wrong and this is the first time we’ve had six weeks without any problems.
“He’s had so many issues at home, just lots of little things and one thing after another, and it was the same for Roger (Varian) when he had him. He showed a really high level of form for Roger, he was fourth in the Guineas and is clearly a very talented horse.
“This was always the aim and we were really keen to get him back on a sound surface and we saw the best of him today. Everyone at home has done a fabulous job to get him here in this form.
“He saw the trip out well today and I think the opportunities are there for him over a mile and a half.
“I haven’t spoken to Prince Faisal (owner) yet so I don’t want to jump the gun, but I thought something like the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud could work for him which gives us plenty of time, he’s a high-class horse so it would be great to give him a chance at the highest level again.”
