Thady Gosden confident rapid improver can cope with Group 1 company at Goodwood after 'unique performance'

Thady Gosden is confident a Royal Ascot winner can fly the Clarehaven flag with distinction in this month's Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup – but it’s not the stable's Gold Cup hero Trawlerman.

Instead, French Master will make the step up into Group 1 company on July 29 after producing what Gosden described as "a unique performance" to win the Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was one of five winners for the yard.

Gosden was talking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's newspaper in which he reflected on a sensational first half of the season for the yard, revealed plans for the stable's stars and opened up about his father John's incredible achievements and the pressure of following them.

For all the brilliance of Field Of Gold, no success this season has given Gosden more pleasure than Trawlerman's all-the-way win in the Gold Cup, which has earned the seven-year-old a short break.

Thady Gosden at Clarehaven Stables this weekCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Trawlerman is an incredibly kind and genuine horse," he said. "He's particularly endearing to a lot of people and for him to win a first Gold Cup in the fashion he did was special.

"Being an older horse, we thought he'd enjoy a lighter campaign rather than a heavier one. We'll possibly run him at York in the Lonsdale Cup, with Champion Day at Ascot his main end-of-season target."

That leaves French Master to step into the breach in the Goodwood Cup and Gosden feels the four-year-old, who has won four of his last five races having stormed through from the rear to win the Copper Horse by two and a half lengths, will be up to the challenge.

"It was a pretty unique performance by French Master at Ascot and an inspired ride by James Doyle," he said. "The draw didn't help him at all and he was a lot further back than he'd have liked but, when he asked him, my God he picked up well. 

"He's come out of the race very well and you'd like to think he'd be able to take the next step into stakes company. He's very progressive and everything he's done suggests he'll cope."

Read more from Thady Gosden in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday.

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