Gosdens view Roaring Lion yearlings at Tweenhills
Trainers John and Thady Gosden are looking forward to Roaring Lion’s yearlings hitting the racecourse next season. The Gosdens made a visit to Tweenhills to see 25 Qatar Racing-owned Roaring Lion homebreds which form part of the late World Champion’s only crop.
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John Gosden trained Roaring Lion, the Qatar Racing-owned son of Kitten’s Joy to win four Group 1s in 2018, which culminated with victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day. Roaring Lion stood for one season at Tweenhills before his untimely death from colic and Gosden was impressed with the likeness in the sire’s yearlings.
Gosden Snr said: “When I look at the yearlings I've seen here today, I’ve noticed they have that outlook of his; a good eye, bold head. I can see that mental determination is there. He's given them great substance. He had a wonderful rib cage, heart room and depth and he's passed that on, there is a great middle to them. Not one came out looking weedy or weak, they all came out carrying themselves well. He's given them something that a trainer can work on.”
Several of the Qatar Racing homebreds, alongside a 450,000gns purchase at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, will go into training at Clarehaven Stables and Gosden believes training their sire is a major benefit.
He added: “I think you learn by your errors as a trainer more than what you get right sometimes. Certainly, I know we wouldn't have run Roaring Lion in the Derby if I knew afterwards that a mile and a quarter was his absolute best trip.
"He was a seven furlong to a mile and a quarter horse as a racehorse and to that extent, his yearlings will be possessed of what I call ‘seven-furlong, mile, mile and a quarter’ speed, which is what you want in the thoroughbred.
"We've got the one crop, let's hope that he can leave a legacy with at least a couple of colts and a filly for everyone to hang their hat on for the future.”
David Redvers, Qatar Racing Manager and owner of Tweenhills, added: “It was great having John and Thady cast their eye over them [yearlings by Roaring Lion] and see if they could see the old man in his sons and daughters. It certainly is clear to everybody how quite remarkably he has stamped his stock. Apart from the grey coming through in quite a lot of them, they all have his head and that great temperament. They're very unflappable, calm-natured horses.”
