Tag Archive for: Get Ahead

Ghostwriter firing Cox’s winter Classic dreams

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Clive Cox is excited to see what the future holds for Ghostwriter following his taking success in Newmarket’s Royal Lodge Stakes.

Having impressed in his first two outings, the son of Invincible Spirit took the step up to both a mile and Group Two level in his stride to run out a convincing winner in the hands of Richard Kingscote when up against a useful cast on the Rowley Mile.

The victory puts the colt in the picture for next year’s Classics, with the youngster as short as 16-1 for both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby and his handler has been delighted with his progress throughout his juvenile campaign.

“He showed improvement from his first run with how he ran under a penalty at Ascot and this was a bigger step up again,” said Cox.

“He acquitted himself very impressively and backed up our hopes and thoughts from what we had been seeing at home.”

Ghostwriter’s Royal Lodge success earns him a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf if connections wish, while he also holds an entry for the Group One Futurity Trophy at Doncaster before the season ends.

Although refusing to completely rule out those options, Cox is minded to think to the future with his talented prospect and would have no qualms about now taking stock with the Jeff Smith-owned two-year-old and returning next spring with his 100 per cent record intact.

“I’m pleased to report he has come home well,” continued Cox.

Ghostwriter on his way to winning the Royal Lodge
Ghostwriter on his way to winning the Royal Lodge (Tim Goode/PA)

“We’ll discuss it further with Jeff in the meantime. Most importantly we will follow the horse’s appearance and well-being over the next week or so and that would be the guiding light really.

“While I am happy with him, I think physically, he has a big frame to mature into even more and I would definitely be inclined to be thinking from a physical point of view he will be a better horse next year and I’m really excited about the future.”

On the prospect of heading to Santa Anita next month, he added: “I think at this stage of his life that would be a huge step and with his size and scope and being so exciting for the future, I would just be very proud of what he has achieved so far this year.

“The level of expectation is such an exciting thought going forwards that it is a bigger picture than tomorrow and it is more about thinking further down the line.”

Get Ahead (left) finishing second in the Flying Five Stakes
Get Ahead (left) finishing second in the Flying Five Stakes (Damien Eagers/PA)

While Ghostwriter’s career is only just beginning, Cox will bid farewell to the speedster Get Ahead following her fourth-placed finish in the Abbaye as she heads now heads to the paddocks.

An agonising second in the Flying Five Stakes on her previous start, she was somewhat unfortunate not to finish closer to ParisLongchamp winner Highfield Princess having been short of room at a vital stage.

“I guess that’s racing sometimes and they don’t run in lanes, but we’re extremely proud of what she has achieved throughout her career,” said Cox.

“I think to be second in the Flying Five and to back that up amongst some of the best sprinters in the world at Longchamp is quite rewarding and she will be heading to the paddocks now.

“I’m very proud to have been involved with her and, being related to a Guineas winner (her half-brother is Chaldean), she now has a great record on track to back up her pedigree.

“She’s a filly that will last long in our memories without a shadow of a doubt.”

Also heading for a career as a broodmare is Tregony, who was a star of the Racing League last term, but has taken her form to the next level of late and now bows out after a career-best effort to deny New London in the Listed Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Godolphin Stakes.

Tregony winning the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Godolphin Stakes
Tregony winning the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Godolphin Stakes (Tim Goode/PA)

“She’s been impeccable and the courage she displayed on Friday was amazing,” added Cox.

“We had previously felt she had only just got the mile and a half really, but Saffie (Osborne, jockey) gave her such a wonderful ride and managed to settle her into a perfect rhythm through the race that she was able to display that courage and determination she has always had at a crucial stage.

“I’m just thrilled she has that winning Listed success to go with her previous black-type placed effort and she’s now bound for the paddocks and will surely be a very exciting broodmare.”



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Cox hoping sun shines for Get Ahead on Arc weekend

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Clive Cox was left beaming with pride after Get Ahead came agonisingly near to breaking her Group One duck at the Curragh on Sunday – and is now keeping a close eye on the weather with a trip to Paris a possibility for his progressive filly.

The daughter of Showcasing has always been a consistent performer for the Beechdown Stables handler and owners Hot To Trot Racing, but has excelled this season in claiming the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes earlier in the campaign before going close in a Chantilly Group Two in her next start.

Further respectable efforts have followed, including when tasting Group One action for the first time in the Nunthorpe, but she took her form to the next level when beaten half a length by Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker in the Flying Five Stakes.

The unfancied 22-1 shot looked to have done enough to secure the big-race shock before being passed late in the day, but having displayed she is still progressing, Cox is now crossing his fingers that conditions remain dry at ParisLongchamp over the next few weeks so Get Ahead can take her chance in the Prix de l’Abbaye on October 1.

“It was a fantastic run and I was so proud of her,” he said.

“I was very concerned when the storms blew through just before. But she got into a nice rhythm and finished off really strong and for a moment I thought we had it in the bag before the winner came by us close home, it was a really exciting run.

“She’s a wonderful filly and has just strengthened and continued progressing. We always had belief she would come good at the best level and she put in a top-class performance.

“I’m pleased that she has come home fine from the race and the journey. She does have an entry in the Abbaye. We have always felt she is better on better ground than soft ground, but on Sunday we probably witnessed that good to soft ground is not too bad.

“The Abbaye is a possibility, if it was too soft then that would be out of her bounds, but who knows, with the weather we have been getting recently we hope it might just remain in her favour all being well. We’re in the lap of the gods and it is interesting, but you do get a dry Arc weekend occasionally.”

Another Abbaye possible for Cox is his Beverley Bullet scorer Kerdos, who has delighted connections with his progress this term.

Kerdos was victorious in the Beverley Bullet
Kerdos was victorious in the Beverley Bullet (David Davies/PA)

He has a plethora of options including this Sunday’s Betfred Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster and the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury on September 23.

“He only ran last weekend, so we are giving Doncaster consideration, but he does have a Listed penalty now,” said Cox.

“He also has an entry in the Abbaye and we have a Group Three at Newbury to consider on Dubai Duty Free day.

“We will just feel our way forwards with him having only run last week, but I was thrilled with how he equipped himself at Beverley and he has come out of the race really well.”



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Goodwood goal for Sandown scorer Equality

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Equality will bid for a hat-trick when he takes a shot at the King George Qatar Stakes during the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Owned by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, the five-year-old speedster dropped back to handicap company when scoring at Windsor on his penultimate start, before adding to his tally at Sandown in the Group Three Coral Charge

Connections were thrilled to get that first Group race victory under his belt at the Esher track and Equality will now head to the Sussex Downs for a contest handler Charlie Hills has won five times in the last six years thanks to Battaash (2017-2020) and Khaadem (2022).

“It’s really exciting and he was fantastic at Sandown,” said Sam Hoskins, racing manager for the owners.

“We kind of felt he had unfinished business at Group level and obviously there wasn’t much choice after his run at Windsor because he was up to a mark of 108.

“After Haydock earlier in the season our confidence was a bit dented, but the handicapper was good and let us drop back into handicap company and luckily he ran the same race as he did at Windsor at Sandown.”

He went on: “The plan is to go for the King George at Goodwood with him.

“He’s got a very high cruising speed and he should really enjoy a race like that, it’s really exciting.

Equality and William Buick coming home to win the Coral Charge at Sandown
Equality and William Buick coming home to win the Coral Charge at Sandown (Bradley Collyer/PA)

“It’s going to be a hot race, Highfield Princess is probably going and a lot of other good sprinters will be heading there. It will be a red-hot affair”

There is further interest in the race for Hoskins in the form of Clive Cox’s Get Ahead, who also has the Group Two event in her sights.

Owned by Hot To Trot racing, for whom Hoskins also acts as racing manager, the four-year-old filly has enjoyed a fine season, scoring in the Cecil Frail at Haydock before being narrowly denied at Chantilly in the Prix du Gros-Chene.

She finished three lengths behind Equality when last seen in the Coral Charge, but Goodwood is poised to prove a more suitable venue for the daughter of Showcasing.

“She’s a cracking filly and things just didn’t go her way at Sandown,” continued Hoskins.

“She wants top of the ground and she is really interesting for Goodwood as she won over course and distance there last year beating Silky Wilkie.

“She has progressed again this season and will have a big each-way chance there hopefully.”

He added: “Both horses have had this as their aim and at the beginning of the season we thought if things go well and they progress as we hoped they might do, this is the race for them.

“They are not too dissimilar horses despite one being a gelding and one being a filly, and they are both horses with very high cruising speeds. You could run both of them over four furlongs if there was a race at that distance. It’s really exciting.”



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Get comes home well Ahead at Haydock

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Get Ahead stamped her class on the EBF British Stallion Studs Cecil Frail at Haydock.

Clive Cox’s filly was the 7-4 favourite to strike Listed gold for the first time, having finished third twice at this level last season and again on her reappearance at Bath last month.

She was unable to land a telling blow when sixth in the Group Three Palace House Stakes at Newmarket three weeks ago, but showed her true colours returning to a sounder surface on Merseyside.

The daughter of Showcasing, a half-sister to 2000 Guineas hero Chaldean, travelled strongly throughout the six-furlong contest in the hands of Richard Kingscote, who always appeared confident he had matters well in hand.

Once asked to extend, Get Ahead readily quickened up to grab the lead and she was ultimately good value for the official winning margin of a length and a quarter, with Kape Moss best of the rest in second.

Cox said: “I’m very pleased, she’s a really nice filly and she’s got a lot of speed, so I’m pleased she’s stretched out to the six furlongs well today.

“She’s coming on all the time and maturity has been the answer to her really. She’s a half-sister to Chaldean and it’s a privilege to train a filly with such a quality pedigree.”

Clive Cox was delighted with Get Ahead's victory
Clive Cox was delighted with Get Ahead’s victory (John Walton/PA)

When asked about future plans, the trainer added: “Now she’s won a Listed race, we can explore a bit higher. She’s always shown a lot of promise, but with maturity, especially for the fillies, when it’s working for you it’s extremely pleasing.

“We’ll try to stay on the right side of the fence now, she likes quicker ground and it was great that Haydock provided that today.”

Cox and Kingscote were completing a double on the card following the earlier success of Spirit Of The Bay in the curtain-raising Tyldeseley Handicap.



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