Can progressive Free Wind take another step up the ladder for the Gosdens?

Saturday: 2.40 Haydock
bet365 Lancashire Oaks (Group 2) | 1m4f | 3yo+ fillies and mares | ITV/RTV

When it comes to Group races for fillies it’s often a case of John Gosden chasing Sir Henry Cecil for the record of most wins. However, the Lancashire Oaks is one race where Gosden has surpassed him, with Enbihaar’s victory in 2019 taking him one clear of the late, great Cecil.

Gosden now has eight wins in the race and three of those winners – Place Rouge, Playful Act and Pomology – were making their seasonal reappearance. This year, Gosden and son Thady saddle Free Wind for her first run for 296 days and she looked a Group 1 filly on her last outing.

That came in the Park Hill at Doncaster where Free Wind made short work of her opposition when bolting up by seven lengths, recording a career-best Racing Post Rating of 113. That puts her on the fringes of the top level, so can she go on to make the step up this campaign?

There are similarities between her and a fellow top-class George Strawbridge-owned and Gosden-trained filly called Journey, who found a sudden jolt of improvement when winning by eight lengths at Listed level at the end of her three-year-old career, just like Free Wind.

After turning four the following season, Journey did make the step up to win the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares on Champions Day at Royal Ascot. That race might be the long-term aim for Free Wind and there is every chance she can emulate her predecessor.

If she is going to do so she might have to beat last year’s winner of that race, Eshaada, who is also in the line-up. As a Group 1-winner with a highest RPR of 116, Eshaada sets the standard off level weights with Free Wind, but the Roger Varian-trained filly was disappointing on her seasonal return when she beat only one of her five rivals in the Aston Park at Newbury in May.

It’s possible she needed the run, but she dropped out tamely and the 49-day absence is a concern given she had entries in the Coronation Cup and Hardwicke, but didn’t show up for either engagement.

Denis Coakley saddles a dark horse in the shape of Nell Quickly. The West Isley-based trainer had Miss Marjurie finish third for the same owner in 2015 – his only runner in this race in the last ten years – and Nell Quickly renews rivalry with Sea La Rosa, who beat her in the Pinnacle Stakes over course and distance last time – a race that Miss Marjurie had landed.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Conditions come right for Kawida

With last year's winner Alpinista heading to France rather than running here, Kawida has been given the chance to build on the promise of her Oaks run.

The Ed Walker-trained filly, who was a staying-on fifth at Epsom, will look to kickstart a big weekend for owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing before Alpinista makes her comeback against Hurricane Lane in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

Kawida: should be suited by stamina test and slower groundCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Kawida, who won a maiden at Haydock last year, was ridden by Jim Crowley in the Oaks but Neil Callan, who was among the winners at Royal Ascot last month, takes over as Shadwell's retained rider partners Eshaada.

Walker said: "She's in good form and has come out of Epsom very well. It was a big run there and the form has been franked with Nashwa going on to win in France. She got a bit lost when the tempo quickened but stayed on really well. This is a bit more of a stamina test and that will suit her, as will the slower ground."

The trends do not favour Kawida, or fellow three-year-old Stay Alert, as the last nine Lancashire Oaks winners have all been four-year-olds.

What they say

Roger Varian, trainer of Believe In Love and Eshaada
Eshaada is training well and she'll appreciate the forecast ground conditions being on the easy side. A mile and a half on an easy surface are her optimum conditions and we're expecting her to bounce back to her best. I was actually very pleased with her comeback run at Newbury as the ground was a bit tight and she was a bit rusty. She didn't have a perfect passage through and probably got a bit tired and it was a better run than her finishing position suggested. Believe In Love is very talented on her day. She's in good form and the race will suit her very well. It looks a strong renewal but I'd expect her to run very well as well.

John Gosden, joint-trainer of Free Wind
It's been the intention to bring her back in this race since the spring. She did well last year and has had a nice break and nice build-up.

Denis Coakley, trainer of Nell Quickly
Hopefully the ground will be good to soft as she'll prefer that to last time there. She seems in good order and there's definitely more to come, but her rivals are rated 10-15lb higher so she will have to improve.

Hughie Morrison, trainer of Stay Alert
She's been quite busy. We're taking it a step at a time, there wasn't a Group 3 around so we're going for a Group 2. She would like ground with a bit of give in it.
Reporting by Andrew Dietz

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