Roaring Lion comes of age in vintage Juddmonte International
Who needs Cracksman and Enable when Roaring Lion comes to town?
Once an immature menace who ducked and dived his way to the winning post, the playful cub has made way for a fierce hunter on the Group 1 prowl and, with his most authoritative and professional performance yet, the muscular grey had too much brawn for a Juddmonte International field that did not lack for quality.
With all but one of the eight-strong field having already conquered racing’s highest rank, this had all the makings of a vintage Group 1 and, while it did not disappoint, it was hard to predict Roaring Lion’s superiority, travelling effortlessly to the lead under Oisin Murphy before gunning to a three-and-a-quarter-length victory over the second-highest-rated horse on the planet, Poet’s Word.
Watch Roaring Lion’s Juddmonte International win
With Arc-winning stablemate Enable on the sidelines and the Knavesmire anything but the mire Cracksman adores, Roaring Lion has emerged from two towering shadows at John Gosden’s star-studded Newmarket yard and, after following up success in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, is Flat racing’s new middle-distance pin-up.
“He’d been training exceptionally well and we made no secret,” said Gosden, who enjoyed what he saw as much as everyone else.
“Kieran O’Neill is the man who needs a lot of congratulations here, along with Ben, who looks after him, they’ve done a wonderful job with him.”
Having compromised his chances of victory in last season’s Racing Post Trophy with his wayward antics, Roaring Lion started the season moderately in the Craven but, with a little help from an Indian summer, has blossomed.
Gosden added: “I had a difficult spring with him, it was horrible, cold and wet and he wasn’t enjoying it but he’s just got better and better and this wasn’t a fluke. He threw away the Racing Post Trophy and wasn’t really with me at the time of the Craven and the Guineas but my God the Guineas put him right.
“He was the last one off the bridle in the Derby but plainly didn’t stay but he’s won an Eclipse and now the Juddmonte. He’s got a massive middle and has got bigger and stronger as the year has gone on. The curve was upward all the way and this is a much better horse than the one who ran at Sandown. I was expecting a big performance and we got one.”
While the winner was always in clear water, Poet’s Word had to be driven early in the straight and switched to his left to escape an uncomfortable pocket but, while that was far from ideal, it would be far-fetched to call him an unlucky loser with Roaring Lion last off the bridle and dominant at the finish.
The Champion Stakes in both Ireland and Britain are on the radar next but Gosden was looking even further into the future, believing he can conquer even greater heights if he remains in training at four and beyond.
“There wasn’t a good older horse in the Eclipse and not a single three-year-old in the King George but now they’ve met and, at a mile and a quarter, this horse is the business,” he said.
“He’s a big-framed horse and only a three-year-old, so I see no reason that through the autumn and next year he can’t get better. The truth is they reach their absolute zenith at five if you give them the time.”
How long he stays in training will ultimately rest with owner Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, who described his latest Group 1 triumph – the third of the season for Qatar Racing – as the highlight of his involvement in racing.
“Dunaden winning the Melbourne Cup was high on my list but this one might have gone and eclipsed that,” said Sheikh Fahad. “To see what we’ve seen at home on a racetrack and beat all these Group 1 winners in that way, was very impressive.
“John Gosden has always had faith in this horse and we all knew the days were going to come for this horse and he showed it in trumps.”
Asked if he will be back next season, Sheikh Fahad added: “Probably the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes will be next but it’s too early to say about next year at this stage.”
If Gosden gets his way Roaring Lion will still be around next year and perhaps even the one after that too. Wouldn’t that be something to behold?
Roaring Lion, who exploded away from the Dante field over the course and distance back in May, produced a similarly impressive performance to score in the Juddmonte International for Oisin Murphy and John Gosden.
Unbelievably, it was Gosden’s first win in the Group 1, his Golden Horn having been denied by 50-1 shot Arabian Queen in 2015.
Hard-luck stories were aplenty, with Christophe Soumillon taking the field to the stands’ side aboard pace-setter Thunder Snow, with 8-5 favourite Poet’s Word the one worst impacted.
It may have been that it made little difference however, as the Coral-Eclipse winner, who was sent off at 3-1, cleared away to win by three and a quarter lengths. The King George winner Poet’s Word finished a gallant second.
Thundering Blue, who was supplemented at a cost of £75,000, ran a mighty race at 50-1, running on late to snatch third under Fran Berry, which the jockey was clearly delighted with.
Paddy Power made Roaring Lion the 15-8 favourite (from 5-1) for the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.
fonte : RacingPost
YORK Day 2, 1:55 - 4:50 Flat 6 races, GOING GOOD TO FIRM (Good in places; GoingStick 7.2. Home straight – Stands’ side 7.3, Centre 7.3 & Far side 7.2) (Rail movements – R3 +28yds and R4 & 5 +32yds) (Mostly cloudy), STALLS (2yo) 6f – Stands’ side; 1m4f – Centre; Remainder – Inside
Kitten’s Joy’s Roaring Lion Pounces In the Juddmonte
| 4th at YOR, Gr. Stk, £1,062,500 | G1 Juddmonte International S. | (10f 56y) | Winner: Roaring Lion, c, 3 by Kitten’s Joy |
Roaring Lion | Racing Post
By Tom Frary
After a battle royal in Sandown’s G1 Eclipse July 7, Qatar Racing’s Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) was able to saunter through Wednesday’s first real clash of the generations in York’s G1 Juddmonte International and cast himself as the division leader. Always travelling with zest and purpose under cover with Oisin Murphy intent on employing the hold-up tactics that worked so well in the Eclipse despite the moderate pace, the 3-1 second favourite was able to cruise to the front approaching the furlong pole as the 8-5 favourite Poet’s Word (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) became stuck in traffic as the field took the unusual step of coming stand’s side. Sent clear as James Doyle got the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. and King George hero into his top gear, Roaring Lion was 3 1/4 lengths to the good at the line, with Poet’s Word only a half length in front of former handicapper and G2 York S. winner Thundering Blue(Exchange Rate) in third. “It worked to plan and he’s a very special horse,” his rider said. “He wasn’t the most straightforward, but they’ve done a lot of work with him at home and now he’s an outstanding horse.” John Gosden added, “This is a proper mile-and-a-quarter horse who has got bigger and stronger and he’s done nothing but improve since a difficult spring.”
ROARING LION, 125, c, 3, by Kitten’s Joy
1st Dam: Vionnet (GISP-US, $175,140), by Street Sense
2nd Dam: Cambiocorsa, by Avenue of Flags
3rd Dam: Ultrafleet, by Afleet
($160,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-John Gosden; J-Oisin Murphy. £602,544. Lifetime Record: 10-6-1-2, £1,437,625. (fonte : TDN)
