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Oisin Murphy delivered Middle Earth with a well-timed run to narrowly deny King Of Conquest in the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
Last year's St Leger Stakes' third Desert Hero was all the rage in the market following his excellent reappearance second in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown last month, but the writing was soon on the wall for backers of the even-money favourite, with Tom Marquand having to work away at his mount in behind the leaders.
Charlie Appleby's King Of Conquest looked as though he had slipped the field under a well-judged William Buick ride. However, Oisin Murphy and Middle Earth had other ideas, with the Roaring Lion colt soon emerging as a sizeable threat down towards the far side rail.
The gap continued to close as the line loomed, and it would be the John and Thady Gosden-trained 100/30 chance Middle Earth to prevail by a nose on his first outing since winning the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot in October.
The front-running Cemhaan (28/1) finished a further four and a quarter lengths behind in third.
"Out on the track he was like a bucking bronco," said the winning rider. "He stood in the stalls and just didn't get out, so my hand was forced to take my time."
"We were using it just as a prep race, but I was really pleasantly surprised by his pickup and turn of foot. From last, he shouldn't have been good enough to win. Credit to the horse."
Middle Earth holds an entry in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot next month and John and Thady Gosden's colt looks set at a tilt at Royal glory before a potential crack at the Melbourne Cup.
"I think the Hardwicke is the perfect race," added Murphy. "Today he showed a turn of foot that he wouldn't have possessed last season. Hopefully, he's a horse that's improving and one we can look forward to."
"That was good, the jockey saved every inch, and he needed every inch," said John Gosden. "He won well in the Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot (in October) and he's a grand horse.
"The horse will come on for that because it wasn't strongly run for a horse coming from last. He's like his father (Roaring Lion), he likes good ground, good to firm and firm. He's not a lover of soft ground.
"He was slow out the gates, he usually is, but he was slower than ever and there was no pace until old Cemhaan tried to put a bit of pace in it.
"He did well to win off that pace, but Oisin was clever sneaking up the rail and when you are winning by a nose you need to sneak up the rail."
On future plans and a potential trip down under, Gosden senior added: "He's entered in the Hardwicke, and we will have to check. Ciaron Maher owns the other half in Australia so we will chat with them and see what the game plan will be, but that seems the place he is likely to go," continued Gosden.
"The plan is to go down to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. We'll probably run him a couple or more times here, we'll not overrace him and then go down there.
"He hated the ground in the St Leger last year, it was too loose, and he does not like it. So, if they get one of those downpours in Melbourne we may as well all stay in the hotel."
