Slow-burner Global Giant ready to bloom for Gosden in Rose of Lancaster

2.40 Haydock
BetVictor Rose of Lancaster Stakes (Group 3) | 1m2f 42yds, 3yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Most of the progressive middle-distance types on their way to Group 1 company in the same year have shown enough of their hand by August to elevate them above Group 3 targets, so the Rose of Lancaster Stakes rises above its grade only on those rare occasions when real slow-burners come along.

Addeybb was one such example last year and there is reason to believe there could be another in 2020, when the race comes much earlier in the season in relative terms. Global Giant might be five, but his career is taken to have started anew when he debuted for John Gosden in January.

His three starts since have all been better than anything that went before and the latest of them, victory in Newbury's Listed Steventon Stakes, represented another bit of improvement.

Two of today's rivals were in behind that day, as was Glorious Stakes winner Pablo Escobarr. Fox Tal can be forgiven, but he still needs to find over a stone on that to get back to his best.

Runner-up Extra Elusive similarly came from further back than the winner. He is another late-blooming five-year-old who ran a career-best on the day.

There is just as much reason to imagine short-term improvement, given how that race panned out and his even more luckless run in the Wolferton at Royal Ascot.

Under more enterprising tactics, he might have been second. Hollie Doyle takes the ride for the first time, as part of her new arrangement with owner Imad Al Sagar.

There is not a great amount of pace in the race. Crossed Baton is more likely than most, but as he is a stablemate of the favourite Frankie Dettori may be able to pull rank if he fancies making the running himself.

A steadily run race could play into the hands of the form pick, Zaaki. He is best known as a miler, one with a handy turn of foot. He stays 1m2f by the strictest definition (best RPR over the trip is just 4lb lower than his career best), but the times suggest he has never passed the test when there has been sufficient emphasis on stamina.

Nonetheless, he is pretty reliable and would be a danger to all if they dawdle and he settles.
Keith Melrose, betting editor

Doyle hoping for a big run from Elusive

This has already been a special week for Hollie Doyle in what has been an extraordinary year, but it will get even better if Extra Elusive can build just a little on last month's Newbury second to Global Giant.

Hollie Doyle: hoping Extra Elusive can build a little on last month's Newbury second to Global GiantCredit: Edward Whitaker

On Tuesday evening at Lingfield Doyle had her first two rides for John Gosden, wearing for the first time the silks of Derby-winning owner and breeder Imad Al Sagar, for whom she is now retained to ride following an agreement revealed only last week.

Success seems to be coming so easily to Doyle these days that we should have guessed that at least one of them would win, and sure enough the Golden Horn newcomer Faisal won division two of the maiden just half an hour after the Frankel colt Amtiyaz had been a promising second in division one.

If Doyle maintains her current strike rate she is on course to reach the 100-winner mark before the end of the month – a near-unthinkable feat considering all of the racing that was lost through Covid – but before that she has high hopes of a first Group win for her new boss on Roger Charlton's Extra Elusive, just a month after landing a career-first Group-race win on Dame Malliot in the Princess of Wales's Stakes.

Doyle said: "Extra Elusive ran a good race against Global Giant at Newbury last time and is quite capable. I haven't sat on him yet, but I've looked at his races and he's only got a length to make up on the favourite.

"That form looks good, as Pablo Escobarr has come out and won at Goodwood since, and although Extra Elusive's last win was in a handicap at Kempton two years ago he's been highly tried since then. We are hoping for a big run."

Reflecting on Lingfield earlier in the week she said: "It was a big day for me and a dream start in the new job. I'd never ridden for Mr Gosden before, and all eyes were on me riding for the new boss. It worked out great and Faisal gave me the feel of a good horse."

Good horses are a commodity with which Doyle is becoming increasingly familiar. Extra Elusive could be another.

What they say

Jack Channon, assistant trainer of Certain Lad
He ran a belter in the John Smith's Cup and was put up 5lb. He is slightly restricted for opportunities as he has a penalty for Listed races and this Group 3 looks a perfect opportunity with his good record at Haydock.

John Gosden, trainer of Global Giant and Crossed Baton
Global Giant won the Steventon nicely at Newbury. This is another step up in class but we've been happy with him since and he has run well at this level before. He's going the right way and I just hope we don't get a massive thunderstorm to turn Haydock soft. Crossed Baton is by Dansili and wasn't happy on soft ground at Royal Ascot. He loves top-of-the-ground and is in good form at home, but at the moment he's heading for this month's horses-in-training sale, so I hope for his sake he runs well.

Alastair Donald, representing King Power Racing, owners of Fox Tal
Things didn't go right for him at Ascot, where he was too keen, but he was rather disappointing again at Newbury, with no real excuse. We hoped he was in for a big season after his fourth last year in the Champion Stakes and he still works like a horse of that class. It just hasn't happened for him yet, but fingers crossed he can show his true colours here.

Tom Dascombe, trainer of Morisco
He looked fantastic at Newbury, but I was very disappointed with him at Newmarket. He was sweating and unhappy in himself before he went in the stalls, and he blew it by starting slowly and racing too keen. That was unlike him and I'm sure it won't happen again.

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