By Sean Cronin
Lumbered with a five-pound penalty for his G1 Lockinge Stakes victory, Cheveley Park Stud's 5-year-old gelding Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}–Ladyship {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) was just too good for his rivals and surged to an impressive four-length triumph in Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
The homebred bay, who finished last of six last year, was let go at generous odds of 4-1 coming back off a fifth in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne Stakes and stalked the pacesetting Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in second through the early fractions of this seven-furlong test. Looming large in the straight, he cruised to the front on the bridle approaching the quarter-mile marker and powered clear in style to easily defeat Art Power by daylight. Marc Chan's 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) failed in his quest to secure a record-breaking third renewal, but posted the fastest closing sectionals to finish one length further adrift in third.
“It is amazing, Audience has grown up and defied a five-pound penalty,” said John Gosden. “He has matured a lot mentally and had the hood off today. Rab [Havlin] really knows him, he rides him most mornings and nearly takes him home with him. Audience has always had the talent and [Cheveley Park Stud owner] Mrs [Patricia] Thompson kindly let us keep him in training as a lead horse to Inspiral, which he did in the Lockinge. It was not a fluke when he won the Lockinge and the mile at Ascot was too stiff last time. He will go to the [G2] City of York Stakes now. He was second to Kinross in it last year and will go there without a penalty, which helps. We have also put him in the [G1] Prix de la Foret and last year's good-to-firm ground would be perfect, but we wouldn't want traditional Parisienne autumn ground. He has the speed for a race like the [GI] Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar and he could be a horse for it. Travelling would be no problem.”
Cheveley Park Stud's Chris Richardson continued, “Plainly, Audience didn't quite stay the stiff mile at Ascot. I was thrilled that Pat Thompson was there at Newbury when he won [the Lockinge] and I'm sorry that they are not here today. Defying a penalty has certainly given everyone plenty to think about. We will probably go to York and then it's all to play for. We'll look at all those races over his favoured seven furlongs. I think he's grown up, he continues to improve and taking the hood off today made a big difference. That was very much Rab's suggestion and we have stuck with Rab the whole way through.”
Tim Easterby was delighted with the performance of Art Power and said, “He is a pony, but he has an unbelievable temperament and tries like hell. We thought he'd run well and we wanted to run him over a fast seven somewhere. It would have been better if it had been softer, but he goes on any ground.”
Wow! 👀
Audience (4-1) dominates the @HKJC_Racing @WorldPool Lennox Stakes @Goodwood_Races for @CPStudOfficial
Team Gosden's Group One-winning five-year-old was simply operating on another level 💨#BetWithTheWorld pic.twitter.com/3dKqRLUp4t
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 30, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Audience is the fourth of eight foals and one of six winners from as many runners produced by Listed City Plate victrix Ladyship (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself a half-sister to Listed Zawawi Cup runner-up Kinsman (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) out of G1 Sun Chariot Stakes and G1 Lockinge Stakes heroine Peeress (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). He is full to a weanling filly and kin to this term's G3 Greenham Stakes winner Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), G3 Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes winner Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and the unraced 2-year-old filly Kinswoman (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}).
Tuesday, Goodwood, Britain
HKJC WORLD POOL LENNOX STAKES-G2, £180,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:23.90, gd.
1–AUDIENCE (GB), 137, g, 5, by Iffraaj (GB)
1st Dam: Ladyship (GB) (SW-Eng), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Peeress (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Noble One (GB), by Primo Dominie (GB)
O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Robert Havlin. £102,078. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 15-5-4-3, $727,144. *1/2 to Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), GSW-Eng; and Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), GSW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Art Power (Ire), 132, g, 7, Dark Angel (Ire)–Evening Time (Ire), by Keltos (Fr). (€110,000 Ylg '18 GOFOR). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Tim Easterby. £38,700.
3–Kinross (GB), 132, g, 7, Kingman (GB)–Ceilidh House (GB), by Selkirk. TDN Rising Star. O-Marc Chan; B-Lawn Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £19,368.
Margins: 4, 1, 2. Odds: 4.00, 16.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: English Oak (GB), Pogo (Ire), Tiber Flow (Ire), Chicago Critic (GB), Noble Dynasty (GB).
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