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Gosdens unleash another exciting prospect

Water To Wine looked another exciting prospect to roll off the production line at Clarehaven Stables after turning in a performance to suggest he is an above average type in the Too Darn Hot Darley “Confined” EBF Maiden Stakes.

Backed as if defeat was out of the question the John and Thady Gosden-trained son of Kingman oozed class when defying his inexperience to get the better of his rivals in the one mile three furlong contest.

After breezing effortlessly into contention, the even-money favourite only needed to be shaken up by Ryan Moore before obliging by four and a quarter lengths from Alderman to enhance his prospects of an outing at the Royal meeting.

Tom Goff, racing and bloodstock advisor to owner George Strawbridge, said: “He was in full work last year and I remember hearing good things from the guys, and they were happy with him for a horse with range, and stature, by Kingman. Not many of his get more than a mile and a quarter, but looking at him standing there right now he is very much a mile and a half type.

"He was working well last year, but then he went a bit weak so quite rightly they backed off him and it will pay dividends now God willing.

“He is a lovely bog horse, but he has won a maiden at Newbury, and that is it.

“He is very exciting. I don’t see him as an Epsom Derby horse myself. I would think the King Edward VII Stakes is very much on the radar and we can look at other nice races over a mile and a half, maybe the Irish Derby, and stuff like that.

“It is a question where John wants to go next as he is a horse for the future. If you went to the Derby I think it would be asking too much of a horse with

Code on Royal Ascot trail

Archie Watson will soon start drawing up plans for his Royal Ascot team, of which Exclusive Code is likely to be included following his victory in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 'Confined' Maiden Stakes.

Having finished fourth in two starts last season the son of Blue Point, who was making his first outing as a gelding, built on those experiences when emerging victorious in what looked like a warm renewal of the mile prize.

Joining matters late on the 5/1 chance found plenty for pressure when asked for his maximum effort by James Doyle before holding off even-money favourite Lightning Thunder by three quarters of a length to set up a tilt at the Britannia.

Watson said: “It was a very strong maiden on paper, but he ran in two of those last year. He was behind the champion two-year-old on debut here and then the Glorious Goodwood maiden was also a very strong race.

“He has done a lot of growing up between two and three, but I still think he has a bit more growing up to do as he was a bit bolshie and stuff going down to post today. He went through the race well and he is a talented horse. The right horses came to the fore and he showed a good attitude, and he showed he can stay a mile.

“We will see what the handicapper does, and if he has got a mark that will get him in a Britannia we will go straight there. We all want to have runners at Royal Ascot and it is a big thing for Wathnan Racing.

“I think he could come back to seven furlongs at some point. It is more a case of fitting the race programme around him. It wouldn’t surprise me if he steps up to stakes company over seven furlongs, or a mile, later down the line.”

Hannon thinks big with Linwood

Linwood looks set for a significant step up in class after leading home a one-two for trainer Richard Hannon in the Win Unique Experiences At OLBG Prizes Spring Cup.

Despite being hiked up 10lbs for a decisive success on his final start last season at Newmarket, the son of Inns Of Court made light work of that rise in the weights when turning a competitive looking renewal of the mile contest into a one horse race.

Bounced out straight into the lead by Jamie Spencer, who was aboard the four-year-old on all of his starts last season, the 10/1 chance never saw another rival after making the best of his way home from the front from a favoured draw in stall 20 close to the stands side rail.

Still travelling best of them all approaching the final quarter of a mile, the Fitri Hay-owned runner, who was making his first start as a gelding found more than enough to defeat stablemate Classic by three quarters of a length.

Hannon said: “He looked a very good horse there as he has given nearly all of them weight and he has done the donkey work. He came here and worked earlier on in the year, and he did it last year, and he looked a good horse, but we struggled to find the depths of his talent in the middle of last year.

“His last run at Newmarket he won by seven or eight lengths, and he was put up a lot as the handicapper never misses me, and he has won well today. It (gelding him) has made a man of him. Saddling him today he was a bit on edge I thought, but coming around the parade ring he was relaxed, and he was relaxed in the race. It takes a good horse to do that and I was pleased with that.

“He has taken a while to find himself. He is a big horse and I think he is probably a Group horse. We have always thought he was extremely useful.”