'The Derby is now under threat - and anyone who doesn't think Ballydoyle's domination is a problem is being deliberately obtuse or naive'
Lee Mottershead finds training legend John Gosden with plenty to say on the eve of Royal Ascot
The world's finest Flat festival is within touching distance, yet John Gosden has much more on his mind than Royal Ascot.
On Wednesday, Ombudsman will seek to defend his Prince of Wales's Stakes crown against French sensation Daryz in the meeting's most eagerly awaited clash. It is a mouthwatering prospect but one that receives just a fleeting mention during an hour chatting in Newmarket.
More is said about Trawlerman and his attempt to win a second Gold Cup after being treated for a problem his trainer has never previously encountered in almost half a century with a licence. Even that, however, is addressed only in the closing stages of our time together.
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- 'I got more abuse for that than anything else but you have to use it as fuel - if you don't feel the loss, what's the drive to make you win?'
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- 'I told them my business would go overnight and trainers would see me as the enemy – and that's exactly what happened'
- 'I regret those times hugely but you can't change the past' - how a tortured genius found a happier life in the most unusual places
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