Lead Artist edges out Dancing Gemini in Boylesports Lockinge Stakes

John & Thady Gosden’s son of Dubawi was well backed overnight and went off 17/2 under Oisin Murphy having been available at around double those odds on Friday.

Murphy replaced Kieran Shoemark in the saddle and he gave Lead Artist a super ride, sitting close to the pace set by Fallen Angel and Persica, getting plenty of cover.

It looked as though Ryan Moore timed his challenge on Dancing Gemini to perfection, though, trading at 1/14 in-running on Betfair when he hit the front, but Lead Artist showed a great attitude to get back on top.

Lead Artist was a neck in front of Dancing Gemini at the line, with Rosallion a further two-and-a-quarter lengths behind in third.

Notable Speech was fourth in a high-class renewal.

Murphy said: “I was really taken aback by him. He has a great demeanour and he relaxed well. He showed a lot of guts against the second horse, Dancing Gemini, who came into the race in great form.

“I hope everyone at Newbury enjoyed that tussle to the line and I’m delighted to have come out on top.

“Kieran Shoemark was there to dictate on Fallen Angel and Tom Marquand had a lovely slot on Persica. I was aware it was going to turn into a sprint and possibly if I had been beaten I may have thought I could have made more use of my horse, but fortunately it worked out.

“He had a lot of stable support and they were very confident. They did a great job preparing him and I’m delighted. It has been a while since I won a Group One for the Clarehaven Stables team and it is my first Group One victory for Juddmonte.

“They had confidence in their horse and they were able to allow me a free rein and it worked out.

“It means a lot as Ryan (Moore) beat me in a photo finish a few years ago when I rode Lightning Spear and he was on Rhododendron. It was nice to beat him because it is quite rare.”

‘He is just a fast horse’

John Gosden said: “Andrew (Cooper) was doing the right thing at Sandown Park as he was watering for the end of the jump season then they got rain on top and it was very dead ground.

“He had been working at home fine, but a lot of it was on the all-weather as it had been so dry. He just plain blew up (at Sandown Park).

“He came with a nice run, but he just blew up at the furlong pole and he dropped right out and Kieran (Shoemark) looked after him which was great.

“He has trained nicely for here and this is his ground. He likes what we call summer fast ground and he showed it today. He is a powerful horse with a lot of speed.

“The key thing is if a horse is struggling on the ground the jockey will look after them and that is what it is about. The great thing is he got a race under his belt and that is what he needed. It tightened him up and he has come here on this ground with a solid pace.

“This was a test of a mile. Ryan (Moore on Dancing Gemini) has come to us and this horse is getting the mile at the pace he wants. If they had gone steady and sprinted it was a different ball game.

“To be honest I thought if I was in the first four I would be thrilled as there were so many good horses in it. It was not like there was just one or two and the betting told you that.

“He had a position where he was able to go first, then they had to get him, and then go again as he has got that reserve of talent.

“If the ground is fine he will be going to the Queen Anne. When you look at the build of him and the way he is made he is a Dubawi with a very powerful shoulder to him.

“I think a mile and a quarter will be too much distance for him. He has so much natural speed that the last thing he needs to be going a mile and a quarter with an uphill finish. He is just a fast horse and the stiff mile of Ascot is what will suit him best.”

Analysis: Mile division looks red-hot

The mile division for the older generation isn’t always elite with the best three-year-olds from the previous year often packed off to stud, but the 2025 vintage looks very strong.

That was evident even before the BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes was run, Richard Hannon describing it as ‘the best Lockinge for 50 years’ with three Classic winners from last year (Rosallion, Notable Speech and Fallen Angel) returning to take on this year’s form horses Dancing Gemini and Tamfana.

It says something for the strength in depth that none of the aforementioned five won, John & Thady Gosden’s LEAD ARTIST landing a plunge under new rider Oisin Murphy.

Kieran Shoemark had ridden Lead Artist in his previous eight races, but after losing number one status at Clarehaven it was Murphy who benefitted and he made the most of the opportunity.

Lead Artist was last on his return at Sandown, the easier ground blamed for that run, but he came on a bundle for his reappearance and he relaxed nicely just off the pace set by Fallen Angel and Persica.

Murphy had him in the perfect position with plenty of cover, while the fast ground also brought the best out of the son of Dubawi who showcased all the tools required to thrive in the best mile races.

This puts him in a good position for the Queen Anne Stakes and fast ground at Royal Ascot would enhance his chance, but plenty of Saturday’s rivals will fancy their chances of reversing the form.

Dancing Gemini traded at 1/14 in-running and he came to win his race under Ryan Moore, doing nothing wrong as he just lost out in a tight finish.

The stiff mile at Ascot should suit him, but whether he can uphold this form with both Rosallion and Notable Speech is a pertinent question.

Both of those rivals were having their first runs of the season after absences of 333 and 196 days off, respectively, and connections will be delighted with both.

Rosallion, in particularly after 11 months off, shaped as though he’d come on significantly for the run, as he raced fresh and keen with no cover on the outside but travelled well and held every chance deep into the contest.

Very similar comments apply to Notable Speech who was just a short head behind Rosallion in fourth and this has set up a mouthwatering scenario for the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race at Royal Ascot.

Indeed, the mile division for the whole season ahead is poised very nicely now, and it will be interesting to see which three-year-olds are thrown into the mix in the second half of the campaign.

The Newmarket Guineas winners Ruling Court and Desert Flower look to be stepping up in trip, so it could be left to the likes of Field Of Gold to take on the older horses.

He’s trained by the Gosdens and owned by Juddmonte, though, and they’ve just unearthed another star miler for the campaign after a gutsy victory from Lead Artist in what looked a red-hot Lockinge. (Ben Linfoot)

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