'He's on a roll at the moment' - Forceful Speed out to dent John and Thady Gosden's formidable Leicester record

The round course at Leicester tends to favour front-runners or those who race up with the pace, and you get a lot of track specialists as a result.

Only two of the 11 runners set to go to post for this 1m2f handicap have won at the course and the one to look at is Ziryab, who made all when landing a mile maiden here in June for John and Thady Gosden.

He has been gelded after finishing fifth in the Golden Gates Stakes at Royal Ascot and disappointing when favourite at Newmarket last time, which is interesting for a well-bred horse after just five starts and who cost Juddmonte 525,000gns as a yearling.

If the operation helps and he returns to front-running tactics at Leicester, where the Gosdens are operating at a 44 per cent strike-rate this season (4-9), he has a big chance if Kieran Shoemark can get his fractions right.

The other course winner in the field is the Roger Varian-trained Kitsune Power, who has dropped 6lb below his last winning mark after a string of poor efforts this year. He needs to stage a full revival but if the return to this track piques his interest again, he could be one to benefit should Ziryab go off too hard.

The two most solid options in the field are Intricacy, who sits up with the pace, and Forceful Speed. The latter is improving at a rate of knots. The George Boughey-trained gelding has won his last three and had much more in hand than his recent one-length victory at Epsom suggests.

He's the only runner in the field to have an adjusted Racing Post Rating in excess of 100 – the value that has been required to win the previous two runnings of this race – and this strong-travelling three-year-old could rate higher still.
Race analysis by Harry Wilson

Going update

The going at Leicester on Monday was good to soft, good in places, with a morning GoingStick reading of 5.4. A dry forecast is expected overnight with possible highs of 23C for Tuesday. A false rail in the back straight to the winning line has increased distances on the round course by approximately 15 yards.

What they say

Roger Varian, trainer of Kitsune Power
He's been a bit disappointing but if the ground dries it will suit him. Hopefully, he can get his head in front before he goes to the horses-in-training sale.

John Gosden, joint-trainer of Ziryab
He's a winner at the track and is well drawn. He's training well and hopefully he can run a nice race.

George Boughey, trainer of Forceful Speed
He's on a roll and if he was better drawn he would be a strong fancy. He's in good form at home and if he can get a good position he'll have a decent shout.

Richard Spencer, trainer of The City's Phantom
He ran a great race when just collared in the Challenge Whip. He likes fast ground, so hopefully it dries out a bit.
Reporting by David Milnes

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