Arapaho Gold comes home in front in the Gimcrack

Gimcrack winner Aprapaho Gold returns to action at Newbury

Horse Racing

Fri September 18, 2026 · 1h ago

Unbeaten juvenile Arapaho Gold takes his next test in Newbury's Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes and Michael Dods is satisfied with his preparation.

The son of Bayside Boy has won all four starts this season, including a course and distance Listed race, after which he went and claimed the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at the Ebor Festival.

Three-time Group 1-winning trainer Dods has labelled him "one of the most exciting" he's had and reports Arapaho Gold to have taken his work well since York.

Speaking on Friday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Dods said: "He seems in good form, Connor (Beasley, jockey) has ridden him twice in the last week and he's been very pleased with him so he'll travel down today.

"It's a competitive race again, but we're looking forward to it.

"I think in his earlier races, especially at Newbury, everything went wrong because he got a bump and was keen on the outside. But then I thought at York he had a nice slot, he was just sat waiting for the gaps. Then he was probably at his strongest after the line."

Referring to having to have Arapaho Gold gelded prior to hitting the track with a smart maiden win at Thirsk in May, Dods feels it has helped him grow up fast.

"He has calmed down a bit and he's a lot easier to handle now. Craig Witheford will be there to help him load (into the stalls at Newbury).

"I think mentally he was just a very immature horse and he's grown up a lot. Connor rode him Wednesday and we didn't want to do a lot, we were just doing a steady leg-stretch and Chloe, my daughter, was on the gallop and Connor said to her that he's the cleverest horse he's ever ridden - he knows when you want to do a decent bit, and he knows when you just want to go steady.

"So I think he's a very intelligent horse, hopefully he keeps improving. He's an exciting horse but where he stops his progression, it's hard to say."

The yard's previous top-level performers took a little longer to scale the heights but Arapaho Gold is showing significant potential at two, with the promise of more to come. He could also have another outing if all goes to plan this Saturday.

"The ones in the past were a bit more slow-burners," said Dods. "They matured at three and four whereas this lad is probably one of the most exciting horses we've had.

"We'll see how it goes tomorrow then he'd probably have an entry in the Champions Day six-furlong two-year-old race at Ascot. But if the weather changed which it could do, and went very bad ground, we wouldn't run him."

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