John Gosden on his three Group One runners at the Qatar Goodwood Festival including Too Darn Hot
John Gosden on Stradivarius, Too Darn Hot and Mehdaayih ahead of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
Stradivarius - Qatar Goodwood Cup
"He worked on Saturday and did his usual thing, he went a length clear and said 'that’s enough, I’ve done my bit'. We’re very happy with him. I've always held a viewpoint that a flat racehorse is at its zenith at five if they're sound – they have the strength then and that’s why I have a lot of respect for Crystal Ocean on Saturday. We’re very hopeful we can try and win the Goodwood Cup again – it will be a tough race with a lot of people trying to make sure it is, but that's what we want – it's what competition is about.
"The Goodwood Cup after running in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot is difficult. You're back at two miles from two-and-a-half and a very different track – you have to be very agile and a lot of it is downhill.
"The pace in the Gold Cup wasn’t as hard as it was last year so it took a little less out of him – it turned into a bit of a sprint and he's in great nick. He does look after himself which is one of the reasons he's managed to hold this level of form. He does what he has to do and no more, he's quite good at winning on points."
Too Darn Hot - Sussex Stakes
"It's been fairly well publicised my mea culpa throughout the year with this horse and he showed what he's good at in France. He's a very, very quick horse and we stupidly tried to stretch him out off a severely interrupted preparation after missing the Guineas. I think we have him back in the right place – I was most impressed with how he hit the line strong over seven in the Prix Jean Prat. It's possibly his best trip, or seven and a half or an easy mile.
"The Sussex Stakes is a lovely race of course but I'll be terrified when the draw comes out. You hope not to be drawn too high over a mile at Goodwood. If you're out in 12 you're looking up the hill at the others and they've gone on you.
"The horse's enthusiasm was always there but he lost a lot of time. He was only walking for three weeks and then we went to the Dante and he was never going to stay that trip. He's just a very quick horse. Perhaps the panicky rush to Ireland was not wise and finally, finally we're letting the horse do what he wants to do, run and show his speed and class. He's an extremely fast horse with bundles of natural speed and we were trying to take that away from him."
He handles any ground and Goodwood isn't the the mile of Ascot or the Curragh, and he wasn't right when he ran there anyway. It's a quick mile and you need agility and to that extent it's the kind of mile he might he appreciate - that and the turning miles of America.
"I had a lot of confidence going into France as his homework was brilliant. He'd showed us he had come back to himself after going through a hellish spring. We've plenty of options for him after Goodwood. I'm not frightened at looking at a Moulin and I've mentioned at the end of the year the possibility of the Breeders' Cup, so he has some nice targets."
Mehdaayih - Qatar Nassau Stakes
"She was impressive in France and showed a good turn of foot to win the Prix De Malleret. It didn't happen for her in the Investec Oaks but I think she has the speed to drop back to ten furlongs and we're pointing towards the Nassau stakes with her."
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