Sweet William Is Punters’ Darling Again After Second Successive Doncaster Cup Success

There are horses that triumph pinch a minimum of fuss, and others, for illustration Sweet William, that person a style that is each their own, and John & Thady Gosden’s stayer kept it absorbing passim successful nan Doncaster Cup connected Friday, arsenic he overcame a slow commencement and immoderate early coaxing from Rab Havlin successful his saddle to triumph nan Group Two title for nan 2nd twelvemonth running.

Sweet William has often appeared to person his ain ideas astir nan racing crippled during a 20-race career, pinch slow starts and mid-race level spots often forcing Havlin to get engaged astatine an early stage.

When he yet goes done nan gears, however, he is simply a very difficult equine to support retired of nan frame, and while his latest triumph was his first since nan aforesaid title 12 months ago, his fourth-place decorativeness successful this year’s Ascot Gold Cup was nan only clip he has been extracurricular nan first three. His strike-rate for each-way backers is 85%.

Sweet William was bumped leaving nan stalls, took a fewer strides to find his equilibrium and was past ridden by Havlin to dress up nan mislaid crushed earlier tacking himself connected astatine nan backmost of nan field. And location he stayed until leaving nan move for home, erstwhile Havlin stoked him up for 1 relentless tally down nan consecutive that carried him astir 4 lengths clear astatine nan line.

Havlin is simply a long-serving No 2 astatine nan Gosden unchangeable but he is nan only jockey to person ridden Sweet William and he thanked Philippa and Nick Cooper, nan gelding’s owners, for their loyalty aft nan partnership’s sixth profession success. “Loyalty tin beryllium a soiled connection successful this crippled but they’ve been unbelievable to me,” Havlin said. “There’s nary correct aliases incorrect measurement to thrust him. He’s a existent character, but he’s sewage a batch of ability.”

There are imaginable Group One targets for Sweet William successful nan weeks up but John Gosden suggested afterwards that nan Coopers person already decided alternatively to scheme towards a return to Town Moor adjacent autumn.

“Philippa wants to spell retired connected a precocious and we’ll build up to nan Doncaster Cup adjacent twelvemonth via a fewer absorbing races,” Gosden said. “They are great, these Cup horses, and group bask them. They are breathtaking for nan crowds arsenic a batch of our Flat horses vanish excessively quickly.”

Sweet William, ridden by Robert Havlin, connected his measurement to winning nan Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

An awesome show of raw, front-running velocity secured nan main supporting title connected nan paper arsenic Tim Easterby’s Revival Power, a sister to nan stable’s Group One-winning Winter Power, led passim successful nan Group Two Flying Childers Stakes.

“She’s a earthy front-runner and she’s sewage that spot of kick,” Easterby said. “She is decidedly going to amended astatine three.”

Lambourn to complete Derby-Leger double

Just 7 runners will spell to station for nan St Leger astatine Doncaster connected Saturday, nan last Classic of nan Flat campaign, but it is simply a title pinch existent extent successful position of value and sees nan first quality of a Derby victor successful this historical title since Camelot’s constrictive nonaccomplishment to onshore nan Triple Crown successful 2012.

Camelot, inevitably, was a red-hot favourite erstwhile he succumbed to Encke by three-quarters of a magnitude 13 years ago. Lambourn, though, is only second-favourite for nan Leger down Scandinavia, a stable-companion astatine nan Aidan O’Brien yard, contempt having taken nan Epsom Classic by astir 4 lengths successful June earlier pursuing up successful nan Irish balanced 3 weeks later.

Had Lambourn been sent consecutive to nan Leger aft his triumph astatine nan Curragh, he would surely caput nan market, but he was good beneath his champion erstwhile fifth, astatine odds-on, successful nan Great Voltigeur Stakes astatine York past month, while Scandinavia tin boast an eight-length triumph successful nan Bahrain Trophy and a Group One occurrence successful nan Goodwood Cup connected his past 2 starts.

Saturday’s title is acold from a two-horse contest, though, arsenic Paddy Twomey’s Carmers was successful beforehand of Scandinavia erstwhile successful successful nan Queen’s Vase astatine Royal Ascot, and astir 2 lengths up of Lambourn erstwhile 2nd successful nan Voltigeur.

All 7 runners, successful fact, person a glimmer of a chance – moreover nan 40-1 outsider, Rahiebb, was wrong a magnitude of Carmers astatine Royal Ascot – but Lambourn was a convincing Derby victor conscionable 3 months agone and very overmuch looked arsenic though nan title would bring him connected erstwhile he was beaten astatine York.

He is besides wholly unexposed astatine 14 furlongs and a strong-travelling galloper who could good amended for nan measurement up successful trip. Scandinavia and Carmers will connection beardown opposition, but Lambourn (3.40) has been edging ever adjacent to nan apical of nan betting successful caller days and still looks reasonably priced astatine astir 5-2.

Doncaster 1.15 Easier crushed could beryllium what Treble Tee needs to return to winning shape aft fantabulous efforts successful conclusion connected his past 2 starts.

Doncaster 1.50 Gewan showed a bully cognition to support his unbeaten grounds astatine York past period and is narrowly preferred to Oxagon, a wide-margin victor past clip out.

Chester 2.05 There is small to take betwixt Hamish, nan lukewarm favourite, and Military Academy connected their shape astatine Goodwood successful June, truthful a 3lb plaything successful favour of John & Thady Gosden’s gelding makes him a logical prime astatine nan apt odds.

Doncaster 2.25 Apollo One has been operating beneath his champion truthful acold this play but he was an unlucky loser of this title 12 months ago, down a consequent Group One victor successful American Affair, and is 1lb little successful nan ratings this clip around.

Chester 2.40 Gordon Elliott’s Ndaawi trailed location successful past spot successful nan Cesarewitch connected his latest commencement connected nan Flat but 2 large runs successful ultra-competitive handicap hurdles since that setback propose that he remains well-handicapped connected nan level.

Doncaster 3.00 A flimsy easiness successful people could spot Shadow Of Light, last year’s Dewhurst winner, summation a confidence-boosting win.