Roaring Lion

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Special Wan at Kentucky Downs on Saturday.   Team Valor Filly Strikes In Kentucky Team Valor International and Steven Rocco's Special Wan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) was first past the post in a Kentucky Downs contest in her U.S. debut on Sept. 7 (video) for trainer Patrick Foley. Bred by Kilnamoragh Stud, the G3 Ballycorus Stakes second and G3 Brownstown Stakes third was a...

Returning to the course and distance of her G3 Lester Piggott Stakes win, Qatar Racing's prized homebred Queen Of The Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion--Simple Verse {Ire), by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) mastered Saturday's G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock to continue her upward trajectory. Held up by Oisin Murphy throughout the early stages, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 100-30 second favourite moved powerfully to Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and drew away from that 85-40 favourite to win by three lengths, with the Lester Piggott Stakes runner-up...

On this weekend six years ago Roaring Lion got the better of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) to win the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes by a neck. This was a truly golden era for John Gosden's stable, with Enable (GB), Stradivarius (Ire), Cracksman (GB) and Too Darn Hot (GB) among Roaring Lion's fellow residents at Clarehaven.  Saxon Warrior had been the only horse to beat Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion in an otherwise spotless juvenile campaign. After winning the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes, Roaring Lion was second to the Ballydoyle star - who would...

David Howden's 4-year-old filly Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion--Bella Nouf {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), last of eight in Epsom's G3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes earlier this month, halted a six-race losing streak with a dominant performance in Wednesday's G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot. Last term's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes victrix kept wide of the peloton initially and drifted inwards to assume control after the opening exchanges. Holding sway thereafter, she was nudged along in early straight to poach a decisive buffer approaching the final furlong and kept on...

Qatar Racing through-and-through, Queen Of The Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion) gave the operation a moment of celebration in Saturday's G3 Lester Piggott Fillies' S. at Haydock. Out of their G1 St Leger and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), the Gosdens' 4-year-old who had finished runner-up in the Listed Daisy Warwick Fillies' S. at Goodwood last month quickly took up prominent rank in this extended 11-furlong contest. Sent to the fore approaching the furlong pole, the 9-2 shot stuck to her...

Group 1 winner Dubai Mile (Ire) has been retired to stud and will join the Manton Park stallion roster for the 2024 breeding season. Successful in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud for Charlie and Mark Johnston last year, the son of Roaring Lion changed hands to join Freddie and Martyn Meade this season.  However, he failed to run for the father-and-son combination after suffering a career-ending injury and will now join the roster at Manton Park alongside Aclaim, Technician and Advertise.  Dubai Mile won three of his eight career starts for...

John and Thady Gosden could have as many as four runners, led by G2 Queen's Vase hero Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), in the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster next Saturday. The Wathnan Racing colourbearer was most recently third to St Leger rival Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York last month. He will be partnered by the retiring Frankie Dettori, who has already won the Classic six times including twice for Gosden with Shantou (Alleged) in 1996 and Logician (GB)...

Qatar Racing's Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion) will be supplemented for £50,000 to the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster. Victorious in a 1 1/2-mile novice event at Newmarket July 28, the  Thady and John Gosden trainee doubled up with a win in York's Melrose on the final day of the Ebor meeting (Aug. 26). "He's progressed well throughout the year, he's always looked like a nice staying colt in the making," said Thady Gosden. "Of course, he won the Melrose, which is an impressive handicap, in good...

Group 1 winner Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) sustained an injury to his near-hind fetlock in a piece of work at Martyn and Freddie Meade's on Monday, and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. "We were preparing him to run in the [G2] Sky Bet York S. when he suffered a conjugal fracture on his near-hind fetlock, so it is an absolute tragedy," Martyn Meade told the Press Association. "We were giving him his last bit of work yesterday on our watered peat moss gallop, which...

Almost a year on from the portentous debut win of Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Kempton, that recently-crowned king of the staying division's more fleet-footed half-brother Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion--Crimson Ribbon, by Lemon Drop Kid) surged to TDN Rising Star status at the same venue on Wednesday evening. Having been a highly promising runner-up on debut over 10 furlongs at Newcastle in May, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred was partnered by Robert Havlin who had also been aboard his illustrious G1 Gold Cup-winning half-sibling in that eye-catching win 10...

Ahmad Al Shaih's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) will be pointed to the G1 Grand Prix de Paris with the possibility of a run at Royal Ascot in between, trainer Charlie Johnson said. The colt finished ninth in the G1 Betfred Derby on Saturday and was fifth in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in his three-year-old debut last month. Dubai Mile holds engagements in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on Jun 23 and also the G1 Irish Derby at The...

It still seems hard to imagine, given how long he has been omnipresent in British racing, but Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks will mark the penultimate Epsom Classic experience in the saddle for Frankie Dettori. It may also prove his best chance of going out in a blaze of glory, as Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) looks the more likely of his Friday and Saturday mounts to conjure that soon-to-be-missed flying dismount. Carrying the "Sariska" silks of Lady Bamford, the homebred left no one in any doubt that she is a...