It's Kitten's Joy's Roaring Lion In Eclipse Thriller

Even without Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown threw up a barnstormer as Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) edged out old rival Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to prevail by a neck and survive a subsequent stewards' inquiry. Freshened up after a busy period which culminated in a third placing in the June 2 G1 Epsom Derby, the 7-4 favourite was held up early by Oisin Murphy as the winning sire's 2016 hero Hawkbill cut out the running. Delivered alongside Saxon Warrior two out, the grey gained a slight advantage soon after and despite veering right into the runner-up late on seemed to have command at the time. “I thought he was always holding him,” winning trainer John Gosden said. “He's run a great race and was wider than we wanted, but Oisin timed his run beautifully. I can't believe how well they galloped out past the line and they'd only just arrived in the winner's enclosure when they said 'horses away'. This is his trip, we've always thought so. I thought Saxon Warrior was magnificent, so all credit to Aidan O'Brien, but Oisin did very well to stay as cool as he did.”

Roaring Lion becomes the third colt of renown to win the mile race on Newmarket's July Course in August that was a maiden when Motivator (GB) and Frankel (GB) won and a novice contest when the grey appeared in public for the first time. Following up by six lengths under a penalty on Kempton's Polytrack in early September, he upstaged Nelson (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G2 Royal Lodge S. to maintain his perfect sequence back in Newmarket, this time on the Rowley Mile at the end of that month. Widely believed to have made his move too soon when second to Saxon Warrior in the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Doncaster the following month, he approached the Apr. 19 G3 Craven S. as Britain's leading candidate for the G1 2000 Guineas but was blown away by Masar when third there before coming forward to be fifth in the main event May 5. At that point, the logic that he would have beaten Saxon Warrior under more waiting tactics in the Racing Post Trophy seemed far from the mark but Roaring Lion was secretly waging a vengeance mission which began with an emphatic win in the G2 Dante S. on his first try at this trip at York 12 days after the mile Classic.

Gradually becoming more straightforward as he gained racing experience, Roaring Lion was also gaining credence but as he lined up for the Derby he was one of several lurking in Saxon Warrior's formidable shadow. What a difference a month can make, with the Guineas hero becoming the enigma that Qatar Racing's pride and joy once was himself. He may have had an advantage over his adversary here, with the runner-up having endured a tough race a week previously in the Irish Derby but even allowing for that and his late antics it is hard to escape the reality that Roaring Lion looked marginally better here. He had his sights set on him all the way and whereas Oisin Murphy was expected to wait and wait, he sensed a weakness in the Ballydoyle colt and seized on it with over a furlong to run. As the slow-starting Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made up ground to run the race of his career, it was between the two sophomores as Sandown's famous hill probed its customary question. Giving all, Roaring Lion was resentful of the whip and dodged away from it and into his giant rival as the line neared and it took several minutes for the officials to rubber-stamp is greatest victory yet.

Oisin Murphy, who received a five-day suspension, was understandably confident that he was on the best horse despite the stewards' deliberations. “My horse has caused very little interference, if any, and clearly he was the best horse in the race. He's a very talented colt,” he said. “There's a huge team at John Gosden's who deserve big-race success and I'm delighted. I went out in the race with a very open mind and full of confidence thanks to the owner and the trainer. Thankfully, we delivered.”

Gosden is keen to stay over this trip now for the remaining European championship events, but was also pondering the potential for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile to take way over Champions Day if Britain suffers its usual wet autumn. “I'm sure we will see the second [at York for the Aug. 22 G1 Juddmonte International] and with some luck, we will see Masar there,” he said. “That will be some horse race. The problem with the Champion Stakes is it might be too soft then,” he said. “He could get a mile and a half around three turns, so America could be the plan if it is soft over here. I think he should stay in training in four, but that's entirely up to the owners.”

Aidan O'Brien put forward the potential for the one-time Triple Crown contender Saxon Warrior to go back to a mile and said, “From the head-on [footage], it looks like they did come together and a proper bump. It was not an advantage, as he is a big horse rolling at that time of the race. It was a very good run though and I'm delighted. It was a very big ask after a tough race in the Irish Derby. We can really look forward to the autumn. We will take him home and give him a nice break. I'd say we can go back [to a mile] any time he wants. It was always going to be a big ask wheeling him back quickly.”

Roaring Lion is the first foal out of Vionnet (Street Sense), who was placed three times in stakes company including when third in the GI Rodeo Drive S. She is a daughter of the GIII Las Cienegas H. and GIII Senator Ken Maddy H. winner Cambiocorsa (Avenue of Flags), herself the dam of four separate stakes scorers including the GII Royal Heroine Mile S. winner Schiaparelli (Ghostzapper) and the fellow GII John C. Mabee S. winner Moulin de Mougin (Curlin). Cambiocorsa is a full-sister to California Flag, who was successful in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and three times in the GIII Morvich H. Vionnet's 2-year-old colt by Medaglia d'Oro was unsold at $265,000 as a Keeneland November foal, but the following year was bought by Spendthrift Farm for $550,000. Named Fran the Man, he is currently the last produce of the dam after she aborted the following year bred to The Factor and unfortunately bore a dead foal bred to More Than Ready this year.

ROARING LION, 123, c, 3, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Vionnet (GISP-US, $175,140), by Street Sense
2nd Dam: Cambiocorsa, by Avenue of Flags
3rd Dam: Ultrafleet, by Afleet
($160,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-John Gosden; J-Oisin Murphy. £448,363. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-2, £835,081.[bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”taylor-made-roaring-lion”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]