Gosden Stars Looking Darn Hot

NEWMARKET, UK—A four-legged equivalent of millionaires' row is perhaps the best way to describe John Gosden's first lot as the select group of horses completed two easy canters up Newmarket's Warren Hill on Friday morning.

First came a batch of fillies which included 'TDN Rising Star's Coronet {GB} (Dubawi {Ire}) and Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who today will board the horsebox that will carry her through the Channel Tunnel for an overnight stop at Chantilly before another short van ride on Sunday morning to ParisLongchamp to defend her G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe crown.

Then came the colts, any one of which would have most stallion masters scrambling for stud rights. Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}), followed by Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy), then Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the youngblood Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), and let's not forget the G1 St James's Palace S. winner Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Gosden's immediate focus is of course on Europe's best filly Enable and her trip to Paris, but these next few weeks will keep his mind fully occupied as his stable stars prepare to line up at next weekend's Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket followed a week later by QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot. Just for good measure, the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale plays out as a backdrop to all this action on turf—every bit as important as trainers and owners select the next intake of youngsters—and beyond that, there's the not inconsiderable matter of the Breeders' Cup.

Gosden offered that “strong consideration” would be given to Enable making the trip to Churchill Downs, but any decision regarding her next start will naturally depend on the outcome of Sunday's race.

“It's not been an ideal preparation but I've been happy with her,” he said. “The Arc is very competitive and it's not the kind of race where you can be a short-price favourite and be really confident. You never know with a race like that. There's no cutaway, so it's not going to open out in the straight. If she is in good order [afterwards], strong consideration would be given to the Breeders' Cup Turf. Roaring Lion could also be looking at something there but we've got to get through Champions Day and see how we are. He has been on the go since February. If it rains a lot, Roaring Lion could also look at the QEII [as well as the Champion S.] on the straight course so you could avoid Swinley Bottom if it's gone very soft, and Without Parole would also be looking at the QEII, which is a stiffer mile than Longchamp and will suit him. He's in good form.”

For QIPCO British Champions Day, the raiding party from Gosden's Clarehaven stable should also include Cracksman, the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million winner Stradivarius, Coronet and Lah Ti Dar. Prior to that there could be two important developments in the family of Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber's St Leger runner-up. Lah Ti Dar's full-brother, Too Darn Hot, the top-rated juvenile this season, heads to the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket next weekend, while on Wednesday another full-brother is set to make his first public appearance in the ring at Tattersalls, where he is set to sell as lot 325 during Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale on Wednesday.

“Not many horses go from a maiden to a Group 3 to a Group 2, but he was quick to learn,” said Gosden of Too Darn Hot, whom he believes to be the most precocious of the offspring of his treble Group 1-winning dam, Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), who also spent her racing days at Clarehaven.

The trainer continued, “He quickened up well at Doncaster and is pointing towards the Dewhurst a week on Saturday—it's the definitive 2-year-old race really. We're looking forward to it and hopefully it will be good ground so that it's fair to everyone. He'll do a little piece of work tomorrow [Saturday] morning but not a huge work as he is a fit horse, it's just a matter of keeping him in the zone. He's a very happy, cheerful horse, which always helps. His favourite thing is eating. When he comes in after exercise if he doesn't get to the feed pot in two minutes he starts stamping his feet. You want them to eat—train and eat.”

Looking ahead to the colt's Classic potential for next year, he added, “A mile is no problem for him—he won over a mile first time out at Sandown—I think a mile to a mile and a quarter will be fine, but I wouldn't be knowing about a mile and a half, I wouldn't be convinced about that with him at this stage. He's a lot more precocious than the rest of his family. His mother wasn't particularly precocious, she raced once in November [at two].”

“When you train the mother and the sisters you learn a lot [about the family] and he's a lot like the filly So Mi Dar,” said Gosden. “He has a good turn of foot like her. The plan will hopefully be to run in the Dewhurst and then put him away for the year. The Dewhurst is shaping up to be a really good race. It's going to decide who is the champion 2-year-old.”