Tag Archive for: Epictetus

Epictetus back in search of further Goodwood gains

Epictetus bids for back-to-back big-race wins at Goodwood in the William Hill Celebration Mile.

Having chased home Auguste Rodin in Group One company at Doncaster at the end of his juvenile campaign, connections justifiably had Classic aspirations at the start of this season.

But while a comeback win in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom kept that particular dream alive, he could finish only fifth in both the Dante at York and the French Derby and was disappointing in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.

John and Thady Gosden elected to revert to a mile in Goodwood’s Group Three Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes three weeks ago and having inflicted a surprise defeat on the exciting Nostrum, a return to the track for this weekend’s Group Two feature is an obvious next port of call.

“He was obviously a course and distance winner last time out in a good field. He’s stepping up in grade again on Saturday, but the drop down to a mile has suited him well and he’s been in good order since his last run,” said Thady Gosden.

“I don’t think he necessarily needs soft ground – he’s relatively versatile as regards to ground.”

Roger Varian’s Charyn and William Haggas’ Aldaary finished fourth and fifth respectively when faced with the mammoth task of taking on Paddington in the Sussex Stakes and now drop to a slightly easier level, while Ed Walker’s consistent mare Random Harvest steps up and takes on the boys having registered a Group Three victory in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot.

Walker said: “I think this is a good opportunity for a Group Two for her and we’re hoping the rain stays away.

“She’s in cracking form and I’m hoping for another big run.”

Simon and Ed Crisford have won this twice in the last three years thanks to Century Dream in 2020 and Jadoomi 12 months ago and fresh from breaking their Group One duck at Deauville last Sunday, will be hoping to enhance their fine race record with Knight.

He looked to possess some real class when winning the Horris Hill last season and enjoyed a first taste of the mile distance when not disgraced over track and trip behind Epictetus earlier this month.

Knight was fourth on that occasion, with Charlie Hills’ Galeron a place ahead in third, while Andrew Balding’s Holguin and Ralph Beckett’s Angel Bleu complete the line-up for this competitive heat.



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Epictetus shocks hot favourite Nostrum in Thoroughbred Stakes

Epictetus inflicted a shock defeat on the much-vaunted Nostrum to land the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.

Winner of his first two juvenile starts before finishing third in the Dewhurst, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum was considered a legitimate Classic contender at the start of the year before injury ruled him out of the first half of the season.

Having made a dominant comeback in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last month, there was talk of a tilt at Group One glory in the Sussex Stakes, but connections instead elected to take another step forward in this Group Three contest.

For much of the one-mile journey the race appeared to be going according to script, with Ryan Moore adopting the same pacesetting tactics which worked so impressively at Newmarket three weeks ago aboard the 4-6 market leader – but it was a clear with a furlong to run he had a race on his hands.

Having sat in Nostrum’s slipstream throughout, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Epictetus produced the better finishing kick of the pair and passed the post with a length in hand under Frankie Dettori.

Of the vanquished favourite, Stoute’s assistant James Savage said: “Ryan thought he had the horse in the perfect place and that the race was for us, but in the last 100 yards he said it was like having a puncture.

“We always thought he would handle cut in the ground, but it found him out in the final 100 yards.

“He’s never not hit the line and we felt he just didn’t hit the line today. We’ll give him a good check over and regroup.

“All of our horses are trained to hit their heights at a certain time, and this horse – for sure he’s a very good horse this year, but he will be an even better horse next year.”

Frankie Dettori performs his flying dismount celebration after winning on Epictetus
Frankie Dettori performs his flying dismount celebration after winning on Epictetus (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Epictetuswas a 6-1 shot to notch a first win since making a successful reappearance at Epsom in April, having since failed to trouble the judge in the Dante, the French Derby or the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Dropping back to a mile for the first time this season Epictetus looked the real deal, much to the delight of his connections.

“The horse has shown plenty of speed over a mile and two (furlongs), we thought he’d progress to a mile and a quarter this year,” said Thady Gosden.

“Obviously it hasn’t necessarily panned out, he’s run good races without getting his head in front but dropping him down in trip today on ground he’s enjoyed has suited him well.

“It was a perfect ride. He broke well, sat where he was happy on the fence and it panned out, he followed Ryan and it was a Houdini move to get out of there with a furlong to go. Being Frankie, he obviously managed to do it!

“Obviously there is a mile race back here, the Celebration Mile, which fits in well.”

Dettori added: “We tried three times over a mile and two furlongs and we always had an excuse – the ground, the competition in the Jockey Club, and we thought maybe George (Strawbridge, owner) was right when he said, ‘Maybe you guys are running this horse too long!’

“John and Thady found this race over a mile and the favourite looked very hard to beat, I had a good passage and he passed the horse and was not stopping, I give him full credit

“He is ready to go up in grade – the Celebration Mile in three weeks springs to mind and then there are lots of races in the autumn – at Newmarket, maybe over Arc weekend. He has beat a decent field today in style and we can go back and make big plans.

“As he handles some ease in the ground, we can look to the autumn.”



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Epictetus takes Epsom honours with minimum of fuss

Epictetus stated his claim for Classic honours by landing the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom.

A winner on debut last season, the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt went on to finish second in both the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket and Doncaster’s Vertem Futurity Trophy – where he chased home Betfred Derby favourite Auguste Rodin in heavy ground.

Having handled testing conditions adequately on Town Moor, soft ground on the undulations of Epsom held no qualms and Frankie Dettori aboard the 1-3 favourite was happy to let Andrew Balding’s Stormbuster and Charlie Johnston’s Hadrianus stride on in the early stages.

The gap closed as the field swung downhill towards Tattenham corner and Dettori was still holding on to plenty of horse when they straightened for home.

The Italian asked his mount to extend passing the two-pole and although getting lonely inside the final furlong, was kept up to his work under hands and heals to complete a successful reconnaissance of the Derby track.

Although seemingly not bowled over by the performance, Paddy Power, Betfair and Coral all went 20-1 from 25s about the winner for the premier Classic.

However, any decision about whether he will return to Epsom or go to Chantilly for the Prix du Jockey Club will be left until after he has taken part in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York on May 18.

Frankie Dettori celebrates on Epictetus after winning the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom
Frankie Dettori celebrates on Epictetus after winning the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom (Simon Marper/PA)

“It was very testing conditions today,” said John Gosden. “It was very deep and he hasn’t trained in anything like that this year. Frankie said he was a little bit lonely in front and he got to the front sooner than he wanted. He travelled well.

“He was looking about a little bit in front, but got tired on the ground as it is deep out there.

“He has wintered well and is a grand horse, but he hasn’t been training on that. He has gone and done it well and shown a good attitude, but just in the end he was looking about a bit and getting tired.”

On future plans, he continued: “We had this pencilled in for him all year. We will go to the Dante and take it from there.

“He may well be more a Prix du Jockey Club horse. Certainly his pedigree might indicate that. We will get to the Dante and make a decision.”

Dettori added: “The pace was even for that ground. I had him exactly where I wanted him to be.

“I thought beforehand Oisin (Murphy, on Stormbuster) was the one to beat. On this ground you can’t give them too much rope.

“I kicked with them at the two and then all of a sudden I found myself in front. He kind of idled a bit and it was the first time that the horse had been on grass for a long time. He has passed his test and I suspect we will run again one more time.

Frankie Dettori celebrates by leaping from Epictetus after winning the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom Downs
Frankie Dettori celebrates by leaping from Epictetus after winning the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom Downs (Simon Marper/PA)

“I’d like to see him again (before deciding whether he stays a mile and a half). It is very hard to tell in these testing conditions.

“He got a mile and a quarter well on very testing ground and he hasn’t got much further to go, but perhaps a race like the Dante will give us a better clue. He is a very neat and balanced horse.

“His form is solid as he was second in the Vertem Futurity and he was entitled to come here and win. If you freeze the race at the furlong marker I was three (lengths) clear, but then you if look at the winning post I was three-parts clear. I was pleased with him.”



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Classic contender Epictetus goes on trial at Epsom

Epictetus bids to stamp himself as a live Derby prospect when he tackles five opponents in the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Kingman colt was last seen chasing home Classic favourite Auguste Rodin in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October.

Though beaten three and a half lengths on heavy ground over the mile trip, Thady Gosden feels both the step up to 10 furlongs and better ground on the Downs will play to his strengths.

“He ran well to be second in the Vertem Futurity at the back end of last year,” he said of the George Strawbridge-owned colt, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

“Obviously, he is a well-bred colt and I don’t think the step up to a mile and two (furlongs) should be a problem for him.

“He won his maiden on the July course at Newmarket nicely and then was a little unlucky not to win the Autumn Stakes on the Rowley Mile, when he was beaten a neck (to subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Silver Knott), and the deep ground was not in his favour at Doncaster.

“While Epsom is a totally different track to Doncaster, he is a well-balanced colt.

“He has been pleasing at home, but obviously this is his first run of the year, so he will come on for it.”

Jeff Smith’s famous purple silks will be carried by Oisin Murphy aboard Stormbuster, who beat Godolphin’s Highbank by five lengths at Newbury, before racing alone and finishing last of eight in the Futurity.

Trainer Andrew Balding was not about to make any excuses for the Dubawi colt’s surprising reverse.

He said: “I don’t know whether it was the ground. It was a funny race. We were over the far side racing on our own and obviously it was a disappointing run and he was beaten a long way.

“He has got to step up on that to get back to his best, but he is a horse we have always liked and the extra distance should be to his liking, hopefully.

“He’s been working nicely and looks a nice horse for the year. Obviously, the horse that was second that day (Epictetus), looks potentially a very smart horse, so sets a high level to aim at, but we are fit and well, and hopefully he’ll run well.

“He ran well at Newbury previously and he’s an able horse. If you can forget the last run, we’d be hoping he’d go close.

“He seems well balanced. You never know how he will handle the track until you try.”

Intricacy, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, was declared a non-runner on Tuesday morning on account of the testing ground.



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