The Notebook

King’s Gambit ran well in the Hampton Court Stakes and connections can feel fairly hard done by that he was unable to get his head in front. He made a huge amount of ground up in the closing stages but could not chase down, Jayarebe, who was in a lovely position throughout the race. In hindsight, if he was positioned closer to the pace, there is an argument to say he would have won but take nothing away from the winner who knuckled down well. He was impressive two starts ago at Newbury and further enhanced his reputation this time round. It was his first venture into Group company but he confirmed that he is more than capable at that level, and will be winning plenty of valuable races in future.

Ramatuelle ran well in the Coronation Stakes without winning and is a filly whose best trip is still unknown. Connections persisted with a mile, despite her penultimate performance suggesting a reduction to seven furlongs was a likely course of action. It was a change of tactics on this occasion too, riding her with a bit more restraint than on previous starts. She kept on into third, but is a filly who doesn’t lack pace, and so with a shorter trip and a more prominent ride, she could record her first success in the UK.

Orazio is a horse with plenty of ability but has flattered to deceive at times and should have more success to his name than he does. Sixth in the 2023 Wokingham, he finished 3 places better in this year’s renewal, finishing like a train in the closing stages, after suffering a difficult passage through the race. He has a lot of talent, but can be frustrating, having a bad habit of throwing in a howler of a performance every now and then. Similar to the horse above, he should have more victories to his name, but it is unclear what needs to be added to his game to squeeze more success out of him.

Docklands ran a huge race to finish second in the Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the meeting, valiantly attempting to chase down Roger Varian’s, Charyn. It was a career best from Harry Eustace’s four-year-old who enjoys this meeting, winning the Britannia Stakes back in 2023. He has developed a case of ‘seconditis’ this season, but he is admirably consistent, producing an RPR of above one hundred on his last seven starts. He has raced over a mile for the majority of his career, but he does hold an entry in the Juddmonte International Stakes, over ten furlongs, which could be an interesting avenue for the next stage of this colt’s career.

Performance of the week:

There were some fantastic performances across the week, Bedtime Story was electric in the Chesham, Fairy Godmother overcame traffic to win the Albany and Kyprios bravely winning the Gold Cup after suffering career threatening injuries. However, I am going to give it to Auguste Rodin, who won the Prince of Wales’ Stakes. There were a lot of questions about him, which is strange for a former Derby winner, but he showed guts, determination and a beautiful blend of speed and stamina to land his sixth Group 1.