William Buick
Royal Ascot's G1 Gold Cup hero Trawlerman (Golden Horn) went postward as the odds-on favourite for Thursday's G2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes at York and, towing home fellow Clarehaven representative Sweet William (Sea The Stars), emulated his John and Thady Gosden-trained former stablemate Stradivarius by winning the two-mile York marathon as a seven-year-old. "The three-year-old [Shackleton] made it a test of stamina, Trawlerman was giving him a full stone in weight, and they made a lovely race of it together," said John Gosden. "You go 15 rounds with this boy...
With the two only realistic contenders of the three runners contesting Wednesday's Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury, Darley's first-season sire Palace Pier was almost guaranteed to make his breakthrough in black-type company and so it proved as Morris Dancer led home A Bit Of Spirit for a neat one-two. Runner-up in the Vintage at Goodwood last month, Godolphin's homebred surprisingly drifted to 11-10 second favouritism to see off the Clive Cox-trained 5-6 market-leader and after taking over from that peer approaching the furlong pole drew away...
William Buick will deputise for the suspended Colin Keane aboard Field Of Gold when the outstanding son of Kingman lines up in next week's G1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field Of Gold will be bidding for a third consecutive success at the top level, having established himself as the leading three-year-old miler in training with dominant performances in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes. Keane was in the saddle for both of those wins, with his appointment as Juddmonte's...
William Buick will have fewer easier rides than he enjoyed on Godolphin's Wise Approach (Mehmas) as the TDN Rising Star dispatched his rivals in Friday's Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury. Off the mark in April's Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Trial EBF Conditions Stakes before disappointing at York and rebounding to be second in the Norfolk last month, the half-brother to Perfect Power cruised from behind to seize control a furlong out and inflict a four-length beating on Rock On Thunder (Night Of Thunder). "He ran a good race at Ascot,...
Picked by William Buick from the two Godolphin hopes for Saturday's G2 Superlative Stakes, Saba Desert (Dubawi) justified that call to continue connections' run of success at Newmarket's July Festival. Swooping late to deny the 4-6 favourite Italy (Wootton Bassett), the grandson of the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Gossamer defied a market drift to 6-1 to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths and deliver a fourth renewal to his sire who won this himself in 2004. "We went to Sandown with a lot of confidence and William said he had felt...
Newmarket's Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes has a rich history and Friday's renewal had the right feel to it as Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) emerged to become the race's fourth straight TDN Rising Star. Whether Godolphin's €1.9million Arqana May Breeze-Up topper will be more Field Of Gold than Epictetus and Arabic Legend remains to be seen, but there was much to like about the way her battled by Ballydoyle's Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) with the pair clear. "He's been straightforward since he's arrived and full credit to the people...
Almost a bigger name in the States than she is in her native Britain, Cinderella's Dream (Shamardal) gained her first Group 1 on home soil on Friday as she mastered Newmarket's Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes. Runner-up in the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes last month, the 5-2 second favourite put that behind her by upstaging Ballydoyle's 6-4 market-leader January (Kingman) by half a length in the mile feature. "We're very much going to work back from the Breeders' Cup Filly And Mare Turf," Charlie Appleby said of Godolphin's breakthrough first Falmouth...
Making her mark on a banner day for connections, Godolphin homebred Crimson Rose (Lope De Vega) powered to a four-length victory in Thursday's British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket. The 7-2 chance, a June 19 debut third at Chelmsford last time, was swiftly into stride and stalked the pace in a handy third through the initial stages. Bounding forward from the foot of the hill, she seized control approaching the final furlong and was ridden clear on the rise to outpoint Country Artiste (Supremacy)...
The Godolphin-Appleby-Buick triumvirate was in celebratory mood for a third time on the opening day of Newmarket's July Festival after TDN Rising Star Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) doubled his stakes tally with a decisive success in the Listed Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes. "It's easy to say after the event, but I'd have been disappointed if he'd got beat," Appleby said. "He's a very exciting horse we thought a lot of in the spring and even in the winter to be fair. He shows signs of his father as...
With chief rival Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit) scratched during the preliminaries, jockey William Buick seized the opportunity of registering a 2,000th British winner aboard Godolphin's ultra-consistent El Cordobes (Frankel) in Thursday's Kingdom Of Bahrain-sponsored G2 Princess Of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket. "To do it on my home track for Godolphin and Charlie [Appleby], makes it particularly special," said Buick after his landmark achievement in a contest which comes with a free ticket to the G1 Caulfield Cup. "The favourite [Ghostwriter] came out, but this horse really deserved it," the rider added....
Godolphin's G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes hero Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) will face five opponents after a select half-dozen were confirmed for Saturday's £1-million G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. The John and Thady Gosden trainee, who has drawn stall five, encounters fellow four-year-old Sosie (Sea The Stars), who will bid for a fourth success at the highest level for the Andre Fabre stable from the neighbouring stall four. The Classic generation enjoys strong representation and features G1 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court (Justify) and G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Camille...
Bringing an end to a three-year winless streak at Royal Ascot for Charlie Appleby, Dubawi's international heavyweight Rebel's Romance landed the required knockout blow in Saturday's G2 Hardwicke Stakes. Always travelling easily behind the genuine pace, the 6-4 favourite took control two out and drew away under William Buick to beat Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett) by 1 3/4 lengths, with Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit) 1 1/2 lengths away in third. "He's a worldwide superstar--I have a picture of him on my bedside table, he means so much to us," commented Appleby, whose last...