By Adam Houghton
“Look away Mick Appleby, but there has arguably been no finer exponent of the new and improved all-weather programme in the last decade than the Gosden stable, home to a handful of Classic/Group 1 winners who learned the ropes at the likes of Kempton and Newcastle in the depths of winter.”
That comment featured in our first installment of Winter Watch, followed by a promise to put that illustrious roll of honour under the spotlight at a later stage when it seemed appropriate.
Now, following a week in which John and Thady Gosden sent out three juveniles to make winning debuts, including a new 'TDN Rising Star' at Kempton, perhaps it's worth taking that moment to remember some of those star names for whom the first of many career triumphs was achieved on the all-weather.
The subsequent Irish Derby and Dubai Sheema Classic hero Jack Hobbs (GB) was one of the trailblazers from Clarehaven Stables when making a successful debut at Wolverhampton just two days after Christmas in 2014, followed by Persuasive (Ire), who bookended her career with wins in a Kempton maiden in November 2015 and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October 2017.
It was at Newcastle in November 2016 that a pair of bona fide greats of the sport, Stradivarius (Ire) and Enable (GB), gained their first career victories, just three weeks apart, while Gosforth Park was also the scene of impressive debut wins for a pair of subsequent Group 1 winners at Royal Ascot in Without Parole (GB) and Mostahdaf (Ire).
Anapurna (GB) won an Oaks in 2019 and Emily Upjohn (GB) probably should have won one in 2022, their Epsom exploits coming just a matter of months after they'd opened their accounts at Lingfield and Wolverhampton, respectively. The newly-retired Emily Upjohn will be sorely missed in 2025, but the Gosdens still have this year's Prix de l'Opera heroine Friendly Soul (GB) to go to war with. She was a winning newcomer at Kempton in December last year.
The big question now is which of next year's three-year-olds can join Friendly Soul in flying the Clarehaven flag at the top level in 2025. This year's G3 Solario Stakes winner Field Of Gold (Ire) looks as likely as any as things stand, but don't rule out the prospect of another Kingman (GB) colt by the name of Bowmark (GB) shaking up the pecking order next spring…
Kingman at the Double at Kempton
Last week's hat-trick for the Gosden-trained two-year-olds was achieved in the space of a few hours on Wednesday, culminating with the sparkling performance from Bowmark (GB) as he earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a four-and-a-half-length win in the second division of the one-mile novice at Kempton.
The overall time was only marginally faster than that of the first division won by paternal sibling First Principle (GB), but the fact that Bowmark ran the final three furlongs around 1.4 seconds faster than that horse is instructive, confirming the visual impression that this is a colt blessed with a telling change of gear.
Bigger and better things surely lie in wait for the Lordship Stud homebred, who is the fourth winner from as many runners out of the Listed Trigo Stakes scorer Bound (Ire), a full-sister to four other Group-race winners by Galileo (Ire), headed by the Derby hero Serpentine (Ire). His second dam is the Oaks runner-up Remember When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who, in turn, is a half-sister to the six-time Group 1 winner and sire Dylan Thomas (Ire), 1,000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and unbeaten Cheveley Park Stakes scorer Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge).
As for Kingman, Bowmark is his 36th 'TDN Rising Star' and fourth of 2024 after the aforementioned Field Of Gold (Ire), Chancellor (GB) and Cosmic Year (GB). The Juddmonte stallion is also up to 26 individual juvenile winners in Europe this year after his Kempton double initiated by the William Haggas-trained First Principle, who is another one to be positive about after his comfortable defeat of Chelmsford scorer Spectacular View (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), quickening smartly under mostly hands-and-heels riding to win by a length and a quarter.
A homebred from Craig Bennett's Merry Fox Stud, First Principle is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Guilty Twelve, who was a three-race maiden in Britain with Roger Varian, before joining Graham Motion for whom she won the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes. Haggas also trained his half-sister, Five Towns (GB) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who won twice from seven starts for the stable, before she too moved Stateside. She was beaten just a head on her most recent start in the GIII Noble Damsel Stakes.
🚀 Very nice from Bowmark
Doubles for team Gosden & @KShoemark 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/CuF6GOE1aG
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 4, 2024
A Story of Gosden Fillies Past and Present
Kingman also featured as the broodmare sire of Frankel (GB) filly Sand Gazelle (GB), the stylish winner of the seven-furlong fillies' novice which kicked off Wednesday's nine-race card at Kempton, defying odds of 20-1 as she edged ahead close home to land the spoils by a length and a quarter.
The second foal out of a winning half-sister to this year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}), Sand Gazelle is owned by the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation, having been purchased for 425,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Perhaps best known for racing top-class talents such as Derby hero Oath (Ire) and the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes winner War Emblem around the turn of the century, the Thoroughbred Corporation has returned to the fold in recent years with a handful of horses in training with the Gosdens, including the G2 Park Hill Fillies' Stakes third Lmay (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
It remains to be seen whether the team's historic green and white silks can get back to where they once were as a regular sight at the top level, but the hunger is certainly there if their recent big-money buys at the sales are anything to go by, including a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly who fetched 650,000gns at Book 1.
If that filly follows Sand Gazelle into Clarehaven Stables, then she'll be joined by at least two other exciting daughters of Night Of Thunder in Kempton winner Life Is Beautiful (GB), a Winter Watch alumni from week one, and Go Go Boots (GB), who got the ball rolling for the Gosdens on Wednesday when winning the first division of the one-mile fillies' novice at Lingfield.
Immediately on the back foot after a slow start, Go Go Boots still had several lengths to make up on the home turn, before picking up really smartly to win by a length and a quarter from the only previous winner in the line-up, Texas Starlight (Fr) (Pinatubo {Ire}).
Bought by owner Bobby Flay for €230,000 at the Arqana Breeze-up Sale, having failed to find a buyer when offered by Highclere Stud–who bred her with Michelle Morris–at Book 1, Go Go Boots is out of the Foxwedge (Aus) mare Hertford Dancer (GB), who gained her first career success for John Gosden at Wolverhampton in December 2016, before doubling her tally as a three-year-old in the Listed Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield.
Coincidentally, last week's all-weather action also played host to the debut of Ashmolean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the second foal out of Denford Stud's dual Group 1 winner Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who also won the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes in which stable-mate Hertford Dancer finished third. The only two-year-old from Clarehaven not to hit the target last week, Ashmolean was as green as grass when finishing down the field in the one-mile novice at Newcastle on Tuesday.
Nice debut! Expensive purchase Go Go Boots sneaks down the rail to get off the mark for The Gosdens and @ONaillers2010 at @LingfieldPark… pic.twitter.com/EdvcW9unAR
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 4, 2024
No Stopping Haggas with 'Superstar' Family
William Haggas endured a narrow defeat in that Newcastle novice with Highclere's Merchant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})–beaten a short head by a promising newcomer from the James Ferguson stable in Gunship (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})–but it was a successful week otherwise for the trainer, with four winners from eight runners in Britain, plus a runner-up finish for stable stalwart Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) in Sunday's G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin.
Kempton winner First Principle belongs to a family that has performed with such credit Stateside that Haggas might eventually have a battle on his hands to keep him at Somerville Lodge, whereas it's impossible to think of a more fitting home for Newcastle scorer Showering (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who won the second division of the six-furlong novice on Friday to write just the latest chapter in the story of a special family, belonging to Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Lael Stables and trained almost exclusively by Haggas for over two decades.
Showering is the sixth foal out of the winning Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Cloud Line (GB), a daughter of the wonderful Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}), who died in June this year at the age of 26. At stud she produced 11 winners from 14 runners, all of whom started their careers with Haggas, including Enticing (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), the dual Group 3 winner who is perhaps best known as the dam of the triple G1 Prix de la Foret winner One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) for the same connections.
In addition to Showering, who won by a length with a bit up his sleeve at Gosforth Park, Haggas also has a member of the fourth generation of this family in training at Somerville Lodge, specifically One Master's first foal, a two-year-old colt by Dubawi (Ire). Here's hoping we get to see him on the track before our Winter Watch run draws to a close.
Fingers crossed we might also see Rogue Allegiance (Ire) again before too long after he won the first division of the six-furlong novice at Newcastle in a time over two seconds faster than that clocked by Showering, albeit they crawled in the latter race which perhaps masked the superiority of the Haggas-trained colt.
Either way, it was hard to fault the manner in which Rogue Allegiance emphatically dismissed his eight rivals on debut, impressing with how he tanked into contention and then sprinting clear when asked for his effort to win by six lengths in the style of an above-average colt.
Bred by Caroline and Stephanie Hanly, the son of Kodiac (GB) was a successful pinhook for the team at Tally-Ho Stud, who bought him for €75,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale, before he sold to owners The Rogues Gallery for 190,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale.
Eye-catching debut! The expensive Rogue Allegiance bolts up at @NewcastleRaces for @omeararacing and @DavidNo45583497… pic.twitter.com/FEVO3fdAYI
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 6, 2024
Job Done for Marhaba Ghaiyyath
The headstrong Padua (Ire) (Magna Grecia {Ire}) proved a bit of a letdown for our 'Winners In Waiting' when finishing down the field in the Kempton novice won by Bowmark, but at least a bit of the pressure was off by then thanks to Marhaba Ghaiyyath (Ire), who justified similar billing with a no-nonsense success in the one-mile maiden at Lingfield on Tuesday.
The official winning margin of a short head suggests the son of Ghaiyyath (Ire) made hard work of opening his account, but he was always holding the challenge of the staying-on Circus Of Rome (GB) (Circus Maximus {Ire}), having gained a decisive advantage when moving to the front on the home turn.
True, it wasn't the deepest race of its type–the first two pulled 11 lengths clear of the remainder–but the feeling remains that we've only scratched the surface of Marhaba Ghaiyyath's potential, with a step up to middle-distances promising to suit next year.
Three Winners In Waiting
Indian Springs (Ire)
Too Darn Hot (GB)–Floristry (GB), by Fasliyev
Trained by Charlie Appleby, Indian Springs is a three-parts brother to Lazuli (Ire), by Too Darn Hot's sire Dubawi (Ire), who was a talented sprinter for the team at Moulton Paddocks with the G2 Blue Point Sprint featuring among his seven career wins. Indian Springs has clearly been a bit more backwards than his sibling, a dual winner at two, but he too should be winning his fair share of races judged on his debut third in the six-furlong novice at Kempton on Wednesday. Beaten a little over a length at the line, he rattled home from an unpromising position in the style of one who will improve markedly for the experience.
Spanish Voice (GB)
Lope De Vega (Ire)–Criteria (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
Saeed Suhail's Spanish Voice, who cost 210,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, spent much of this year in the care of Sir Michael Stoute, before joining Andrew Balding upon the retirement of the 10-time champion trainer. He made his debut in the race won by First Principle at Kempton on Wednesday and shaped with plenty of promise in finishing third, sticking to his task well to pass the post only two lengths behind the winner. His dam produced her best effort when third in the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes and this colt should come into his own when tackling middle-distances next year.
Noble Horizon (GB)
Kingman (GB)–Great Heavens (GB), by Galileo (Ire)
Noble Horizon is bred in the purple as a son of the Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens, a full-sister to Nathaniel (Ire), and he was another one to catch the eye on a Kempton card that is sure to throw up plenty of winners. He had the misfortune of making his debut in the race taken apart by Bowmark, but it was an encouraging start to his career nonetheless as he made steady progress under a hands-and-heels ride to finish fourth (beaten a little over five lengths). Stamina promises to be his strong suit and he's another promising three-year-old prospect for William Haggas to go to war with in 2025.
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