When John Gosden provides an update on some of his stable stars, it signals the European flat season is not all that far away. When the updates involve stars such as G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby hero Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling), MG1SW Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and GSW and G1 Racing Post Trophy third-place Foundation (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), then it really gets the pulse racing. Jack Hobbs, owned in part by Godolphin, always looked the type that would benefit from another year of physical development and Gosden reports the 4-year-old to be wintering well. He has a few potential targets in mind for the colt.
“Jack Hobbs is in great form and I'm happy with him,” commented Gosden. “He has done well and has strengthened up and is now just filling out. He won't be out in early spring, but maybe something like the [G3] Brigadier Gerard S. or the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup might be where we start.”
For a horse like Jack Hobbs mapping out a summer and autumn campaign is usually quite straightforward and Gosden intends to keep it simple, aiming the bay to the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S., before tackling the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Continued Gosden, “His big aim will be the King George, then in the autumn he will be trained for the Arc.”
Al Shaqab Racing's Shalaa had a sparkling juvenile season posting Group 1 victories in the Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket and the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville and such is the speed he showed, Gosden has no plans to stretch him out to a mile.
“We will look at all the sprints with Shalaa and the sprint [G1 Commonwealth Cup] at Royal Ascot will be his target,” said Gosden. “He might go for the [G3] Pavilion S. [at Ascot at the end of April] first.”
Foundation is a different type to Shalaa in that he had enough stamina to win the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. over a mile at Newmarket before he found just Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) too good in the G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. Gosden has no fears about upping the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing colorbearer in distance, but intends to do it by degrees.
“Foundation could start off in a race like the [G3] Craven [S. at Newmarket]. We could then look to go to the [G1] 2000 Guineas, but there is also the [G1] French 2000 Guineas. I think he will be solid up to a mile and a quarter, but I wouldn't know beyond that.”
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