John Gosden hopes Golden Horn stays in training
The impressive Epsom winner will aim to extend his unbeaten record in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on July 4, reverting to 10 furlongs despite quashing all doubts about his stamina for a mile and a half.
Stablemate Jack Hobbs chased him home, as he had in the Dante Stakes at York, and he will stay at 12 furlongs for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 27.
“He’s in the Eclipse, he’s not in the Irish Derby, it was something we discussed at the supplementary stage that we wouldn’t put him in,” said Gosden.
“The Eclipse in July looks like the direction we’ll go and then possibly on to York for the Juddmonte (International).
“He’s come out of the race well and it is fair to say the Eclipse is uppermost in my mind.
“For Jack Hobbs he’ll run in the Irish Derby and then we’ll give him a holiday as he’s a big, rangy horse that will make a nice four- and five-year-old – as you could see in his frame yesterday, he’s not yet fully furnished.”
A crowd of 125,000 packed the famous Downs, as Gosden landed a second Derby after Benny The Dip in 1997.
Speaking at his Clarehaven yard in Newmarket, Gosden was able to reflect on a special afternoon.
He said: “It was a wonderful day, and wow, what a crowd, it was incredible. It was a great atmosphere and full marks to Investec and Epsom as they did a brilliant job of promoting the race.
“I think Derby Day to us is so deep in the fabric of our society, and the great thing about the Derby is it really is the people’s race.
“It was a great race, run very strongly, and it was a clean affair.
“I thought the Dante form would be confirmed. I thought Jack Hobbs was a little unbalanced, but he learnt a lot from York whereas the other horse is more the finished article. There were some imponderables, though, in Success Days and Epicuris as I had no form lines on those.
“It would be wonderful if Golden Horn was kept in training next year. The owner is very sporting and it would be my wish to do so. I think it is great when you get good three-year-olds racing at four.
“I like to see the older horses in training, like they used to be before being packed off to stud at three.
Gosden is no stranger to training in America, and took a keen interest in the performance of American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes last night, as the Bob Baffert-trained colt became the first horse since 1978 to land the Triple Crown.
He said: “I thought it was brilliant. When I saw they had left him in front, I thought ’he is going to kill them’. They just let him float along. It is unbelievable for American racing. I was there for the last one in 1978, although I was young it was great to see a horse do it.
