Lion-hearted filly brings Howden joy at Ascot

Running Lion, the apple of the Howden family’s eye and conceived, born, raised and grazed at Tweenhills, delivered on the biggest stage when making all in the Gr.2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

After unfortunate experiences in both the Oaks at Epsom – when withdrawn at the stalls – and Prix de Diane, as well as being caught late in the Gr.2 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket’s QIPCO Guineas Festival on her return, Running Lion proved exactly what she’s made of when beating 13 rivals in the Duke of Cambridge.

As anyone who was watching the TV coverage will have seen, the victory was extremely special for David and Fiona Howden, who bred Running Lion and race her in their increasingly familiar two-tone green silks. David had his first runner only in 2018 – Response Exacte in the Albany Stakes – and six years later has managed to achieve what it takes some decades to achieve: to win at Royal Ascot, and with a homebred to boot.

Running Lion was given a masterful ride by Oisin Murphy, making the running for the first time in her life and dictating perfect fractions, the race having been switched from the straight course to the round course this year. She showed the attitude associated with her much-missed sire Roaring Lion when fending off John and Thady Gosden-trained stablemate Laurel late on.

John Gosden said: "This filly has been unlucky. She moved a bit soon in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket, gets boxed in at Epsom. We did decide 'third time, Oisin, do what you want'. He's drawn 11, go to the front, control it. It was perfect.”

Oisin added: "Obviously at Epsom she broke well, I didn't want to lead because she did too much in front at Newmarket and wasted too much energy and we had a hard luck story.

"Today, I had to have a bit of confidence to go out and do my own thing. When she broke well and she pricked her ears, I was happy to lead, and when she saved energy like that, she was always going to be hard to pass.”

Howden is a major sponsor at Ascot, along with QIPCO, and had a day to remember. He bought Dansili mare Bella Nouf – carrying subsequent Gr.3 winner Majestic Glory (by Frankel) – at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mare Sale, signed for by Tweenhills.

Bella Nouf was obviously sent straight to Roaring Lion, which produced Running Lion, and she has also visited Tweenhills sires Zoustar and Kameko. She has a yearling colt by Frankel and colt foal by Kingman – exciting times!