'We have taken our eye off the ball' - why Roaring Lion is going to be sorely missed in the stallion ranks

Given how the trend has been to breed sprinters who can run straight away rather than middle-distance horses who take a lot of time, we are pretty rubbish at sprinting in Europe.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that the Australians and Americans are much better with sprinters than we are and the worry for me is that we have taken our eye off the ball in breeding top-class middle-distance horses. 

We used to rule the world with that type of horse and we are still at or near the top, but the likes of Japan and Germany are catching up fast. In fact, there is every reason to think the Japanese are now out in front.

Consequently, I think we need all the middle-distance stallions we possibly can these days, which is why it was such a tragedy that Roaring Lion died so early. With only one crop, Roaring Lion has produced any number of horses who stayed well and he was unlucky not to have three winners at Royal Ascot, with Saint George running second in the Queen's Vase, Valiant Lion being unlucky not to beat Desert Hero in the King George V, while Lion Of War should really have won the Golden Gates.

Roaring Lion: star on the track but his stallion career was sadly curtailedCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Throw in Running Lion, Embesto, Group 1 winner Dubai Mile and Kingswood, and it's pretty clear that Roaring Lion is going to be a massive miss to the stallion ranks. However, we should enjoy him while we still can and Valiant King is undoubtedly a horse to keep following because I thought he took another step forward when chasing home Vauban at Naas last week. He stuck to his task incredibly well and, with the time being so strong, I reckon he's got a right chance of going close in the St Leger for Joseph O'Brien, who won the final Classic with Galileo Chrome in 2020.

Galileo Chrome prepped for the Leger at Navan before winning at Doncaster and we know on his Ascot form that Valiant King is at least as good as Desert Hero, who is near the head of the market after his Goodwood win. 

Valiant King is not the only son of Roaring Lion to keep an eye on with regards to the Leger because the Gosdens clearly hold Lion's Pride in high regard. He was a late withdrawal because of the ground in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, but the fact that he was due to run until the ground went against him having only won an all-weather maiden tells you all you need to know. 

His Kempton win looked interesting at the time but it was hard to know what the form amounted to. However, the second won next time and back in third was The Goat, who won a competitive handicap at Goodwood by 12 lengths earlier this month.

Of course, Lion's Pride is going to have to leave that form a long way back if he's to be a factor in a Group 3, let alone the Leger, but he has the right trainers and he certainly has the right sire too.

Beckett as good a trainer as anyone

I reckon if you were to ask most racing folk to name the top trainers in Britain and Ireland, Aidan O'Brien, the Gosdens, Charlie Appleby and William Haggas would be the names who came up most. They'd be right to, but one name who probably doesn't get mentioned as often as it should is that of Ralph Beckett, whose statistics suggest he is right up their with the best and I have a strong feeling that he's only just getting going.

Juddmonte came on board just a few years ago and, given how he's trained Westover and Bluestocking for them, I reckon he's going to be in line for some of their best-bred horses from now on.

Ralph Beckett: one of the best trainers aboutCredit: Edward Whitaker

Furthermore, Beckett has had more two-year-old winners than Appleby, Haggas and Andrew Balding this year, so the future's bright plus he's brilliant with his handicappers as he showed when having the 1-2 in the Hunt Cup and landing the Bunbury Cup with Biggles. 

There is not a type of horse he can't train and the longer he remains underestimated the better it is for punters because make no mistake Beckett is as good as there is.

Read more . . .

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