Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (Group 1)

IN a race billed as a match between highly rated pair Inspiral and Big Rock, the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes went to the former’s lead horse Audience (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin), who made all the running at 22/1 to cause an upset on his first try at a mile at Newbury last Saturday.

Big Rock, having his first run for Maurizio Guarnieri, raced prominently but closer to the stands’ rail than Audience, who settled better for Havlin and ploughed his own furrow up the centre of the track, while stablemate Inspiral was switched sharply from the far side by Kieran Shoemark, effectively ignoring the pacemaker. It was Charyn (Roger Varian/Silvestre de Sousa) who was left to pursue the front-running Audience, albeit never able to get on terms, and Audience still had a length and a quarter in hand at the line.

Witch Hunter (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) came third but was beaten seven and three-quarter lengths by the winner. The result came as a shock to the majority, but not to John Gosden, who has always held the quirky Audience – the horse does his best running when racing on his own – in high regard.

“When you know what this horse is and what he’s done, then don’t leave him alone,” said Gosden senior.

“He’s been working very well, and I didn’t think Rab would be left in splendid isolation out in front, but I knew he would get a hell of a run out of him. I told Rab to go straight, and he followed his line of mowing, and no one came near him.

Soften the Rock

“The idea was he was there to soften up Big Rock, but he never really saw him. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and is a grand horse. Mrs Thompson kept him in training so he could be a lead horse for Inspiral, and I think he has covered himself in glory.”

Asked about Inspiral, who finished fourth, Gosden replied: “The filly will come on a bundle for that. The trainer is so hopeless he couldn’t get her fit at home. I didn’t want to take her away for gallops at racecourses; that’s not her game.

“She was always going to need it, but there will be another day with her. She’s run a lovely race and has rather come right across which is what she did in the Jacques le Marois last year with Frankie. She’s come to make her run and has just got tired.

“The Queen Anne would probably be the aim, as it would be for Audience as well, but we would also look at the Prince of Wales’s Stakes because when she won at the Breeders’ Cup Frankie could not pull her up.

“He thought we’d been running her over the wrong trip all the time, so we will leave our options open and see how she is over the next week.”

MIDDLE Earth (John and Thady Gosden/Oisin Murphy), the 10/3 second favourite, got up late after a tardy start to land the Group 3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes by a nose for co-owners Qatar Racing and Australian trainer Ciaron Maher.

The four-year-old showed improved form to run down King Of Conquest (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), with the pair four and a quarter lengths clear of Cemhaan. Favourite Desert Hero failed to settle behind the steady early pace and was disappointing.

The winner is in line for a crack at the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and all being well, will be trained for the Melbourne Cup thereafter, with Maher expected to take charge of his preparation for that contest.

Elite back to best

Elite Status (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) has the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on his agenda after an impressive win in the Listed Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes. The 13/2 chance didn’t fulfill immense early promise as a juvenile, but looked to have done well over the winter and was soon travelling powerfully from his low draw.

Stalking stable-companion Dawn Charger in the early stages, Elite Status edged into a clear lead with over two furlongs to go and quickened away when asked to beat Relief Rally (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) by two and three-quarter lengths, with Adaay In Devon (Rod Millman/Silvestre de Sousa) – who had finished second to Jasour in Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup Trial – third, a further length and a half behind.

Karl Burke, who watched the race from his Middleham yard, blamed a sesamoid problem for the colt’s inconsistency last term, and has high hopes for Elite Status this term.

“I’ve always thought he was a high-class horse and I think if we can keep him on the right track, the world is his oyster,” said Burke. “He is a very good horse with a massive engine - we just lost our way with him.

“He was electric in the National Stakes and Sheikh Obaid was always very keen to step him up, but when we did, he was never quite right for us. He’s proved today he stays six very well. He’s a horse with a big future, I think, and the Commonwealth Cup will be his next run barring accidents.”

Sandown Thursday

ROBERT Havlin was at his best when cajoling the John and Thady Gosden-trained Sweet William to get the better of a battle with Caius Chorister (David Menuisier/Rossa Ryan) in the Group 3 Henry II Stakes.

With Chesspiece flopping badly, the race turned into a match between that pair, who dominated the betting, and it was 5/2 second favourite Sweet William who got up late under the kid-glove treatment to win by a head from the game runner-up, who had beaten him when the pair filled the places behind Coltrane in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot.

Sweet William was wearing a visor here having previously been tried in blinkers, and he seemed to apply himself better than at Ascot. The Gold Cup now beckons for the winner, with the winning jockey believing that he will be suited by the two and a half-mile trip at Royal Ascot.

Royal Rhyme lands the odds

Royal Rhyme (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) took the Group 3 Chasemore Farm Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday with the minimum of fuss, the 1/2 favourite coming through late on to collar Certain Lad (Jack Channon/George Bass) to win by a length after the front-running Miss Cantik had set up a clear lead in the soft conditions. That filly tired in the final quarter mile, with Certain Lad leading over a furlong out before being picked off in turn by Lee on the market leader.

The winner is likely to go for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, but this workmanlike victory failed to impress the layers, who left him unchanged at 20/1 for that contest.

Almaqam (Ed Walker/William Buick) looked a handful in the paddock but was on his best behaviour in the race to land the Listed Chasemore Farm Stud Staff Heron Stakes later on the card. The son of Lope De Vega tracked early leader Son and took over when that colt ran wide on the bend, before stretching away on the testing ground to win by three and three-quarter lengths from Frankel’s well-touted half-brother Kikkuli (Harry Charlton/Ryan Moore).

The winner will head to Royal Ascot next, with Walker unsure whether to aim for the St James’s Palace Stakes at a mile or step up to ten furlongs in the Hampton Court Stakes.

Empress remains unbeaten

The Listed National Stakes saw warm favourite Hawaiian flop having gone hard in front, and that set the race up for the closers, with Enchanting Empress (Dominic Ffrench-Davis) beating Rock Hunter (Amy Murphy/Silvestre de Sousa) by half a length.

The pair were first and second in an Ascot novice on their previous starts and there must be a concern that the form isn’t that strong with the run of the race certainly benefiting the narrow winner.