Shantaram: 16-1 for the St Leger after his Bahrain Trophy victory
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)Gosden bandwagon rolls on as Shantaram wins
Report: Newmarke July, Thursday
Bahrain Trophy (Group 3) 1m5f, 3yo
SHANTARAM stayed on strongly in the final two furlongs to give trainer John Gosden and jockey William Buick more Group-race glory.
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There had been some doubts expressed by connections about the suitability of the soft going at Newmarket for Shantaram, who had scrambled home in a maiden at 1-8 on the surface on his previous start.
That left the unbeaten Valiant as favourite and he was keen in the opening stages as Good Morning Star set a steady pace at the front on the field. Rewarded was also keen to begin with.
The field headed down the middle of the course and it was Valiant that came under pressure first, Ryan Moore niggling away fully four furlongs from home.
Shantaram continued to travel well but the response was far from immediate when Buick went to seal the race, although he had too much class for his rivals as he drew away in the final stages to give the trainer and jockey back-to-back wins in the race after Masked Marvel's success last year.
Masked Marvel went on to take the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster and Shantaram was introduced at 16-1 for this year's race by Paddy Power and William Hill.
With Valiant and Rewarded failing to pick up, it wa s left for the two fillies to fill the places with Naseem Alyasmeen second at 20-1 and Good Morning Star third.
Buick and Gosden have been enjoying a golden spell of late with five winners at Royal Ascot, an Eclipse success and Group 1 glory with Izzi Top in Ireland.
Gosden said: "He stays well. He's grown a lot; he's the biggest horse in the yard and is 17 hands and change, and he's taken time to mature. He got a little unsteady in the ground last time but he handled it today and he's progressive.
"He'll be put in [the St Leger] and it's up to every owner and their management team to make the decision. He's in the Great Voltigeur and I think he's the sort of horse that should go there."
He added: "William said it was the first time today that he got his act together."
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