3 minute read

Audience defied odds of 22/1 when an all-the-way winner of the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

The race was billed as something of a match between last year's three-time Group 1 winner Inspiral and the French raider Big Rock, who claimed the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in emphatic style at Ascot in October.

However, neither of the market principals could ever land a blow, with Inspiral, who was being partnered by Kieran Shoemark for the first time, slowly away and Big Rock failing to pick up tackling quicker conditions on his reappearance.

Cheveley Park and the John and Thady Gosden team may have failed to land the spoils with Inspiral, but trainers, owners, and breeders still managed to claim the Group 1 prize as the 22/1 chance Audience made the best of his way home under Rab Havlin.

The five-year-old gelding was always prominent in the mile feature, and it quickly became apparent the quirky son of Iffraaj had his rivals in trouble as Havlin kicked his mount for home entering the final two furlongs. Roger Varian's Group 2 bet365 Mile winner Charyn did his best to close the gap with a furlong to run, but Audience had plenty up his sleeve and went on to score by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

Witch Hunter ran on to finish a remote third for trainer Richard Hannon and Sean Levey, with Inspiral back in fourth. Big Rock, who was sent off an 11/4 chance, could only manage to finish sixth on his first outing of the season and his first start for trainer Maurizio Guarnieri.

John Gosden said: "When you know what this horse is and what he's done, then you don't leave him alone."

It was a second Group 1 triumph for jockey Rab Havlin following his breakthrough top-level success on Commissioning in the 2022 Fillies' Mile and Gosden was full of praise for the Scottish-born rider.

Gosden added: "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. It's wonderful for Rab as he puts all the work in with him.

"He's a wild boy, but he's a horse with ability – look at the Kinross race, the City of York.

"He's got solid Group form and he's learnt to relax more with age, if you leave a horse like that alone he's going to be very dangerous. We always knew he was going to be part of it and I thought he could maybe finish in the first four or five. As it was they ignored him and all got racing on the other side.

"The idea was he was there with Big Rock and softens up Big Rock, but he never really saw Big Rock. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and is a grand horse. Mrs (Patricia) Thompson kept him in training very kindly rather than him going to Hong Kong so he could be a lead horse for Inspiral and I think he has covered himself in glory."

Paddy Power were seemingly impressed and cut the winner to 6/1 (from 40s) for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot next month, while the same firm made the runner-up their 5/1 joint-favourite with the fourth-placed Inspiral.

Connections of Inspiral were full of optimism following her reappearance effort, with Gosden expecting last season's Breeders' Cup heroine to come on plenty for the run. "The filly will come on a bundle for that, the trainer is so hopeless he couldn't get her fit at home," joked Gosden senior.

He added: "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 and we're on the road with her. She's run a lovely race and has rather come across right across which is what she did in the Jacques le Marois last year with Frankie (Dettori). She's come to make her run and has just got tired – she's 'blown up' as they call it.

"In her work at home, she's a lot older and wiser and I'm not going to tell her what she's got to do, so she's been quietly doing what she's happier doing and she needed this race to bring her on for Ascot and I'm delighted with her run. She's carrying rather a lot of condition.

"The Queen Anne would probably be the aim, as it would be for Audience as well, but talking to Mrs Thompson we would also look at the mile-and-a-quarter race (Prince of Wales's Stakes) because when she won at the Breeders' Cup – and I know it's an easy mile and a quarter at Santa Anita. Frankie could not pull her up. He came back and said I think we've 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."

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