'Taking the mickey' - Gosden echoes Dods's criticism of Doncaster prize-money

Saturday: Doncaster

John Gosden repeated Michael Dods's complaint about prize-money at Doncaster by claiming the course was "taking the mickey" after landing a £20,000 handicap with Israr.

His fellow trainer labelled a similar purse "an embarrassment" when he won with Dakota Gold at the Yorkshire track on Friday.

After Israr won a Class 2 race 24 hours later, Gosden said of the prize-money: "It's taking the mickey, as simple as that. It was £8,000 to the winning owner on a Group 1 day at a Group 1 track. Come on."

In response, Arena Racing Company racing division managing director Mark Spincer said: "We constantly review our race programme and will certainly look at the make-up of this meeting.

"We look forward to making some more announcements about Programme Book 1 at Doncaster shortly."

Shadwell's three-year-old could be back to bid for a bigger prize in the Betgoodwin November Handicap a week next Saturday.

Gosden won that race a record six times before joining forces with his son Thady, and his father Towser also had a fine record in the 1m4f race when it was run at now-defunct Manchester.

After Israr won by nearly four lengths under Jim Crowley, Gosden said: "We'll see what the handicapper does. I hope he doesn't punish him too much, otherwise we could be back here in two weeks in what used to be called the Manchester November Handicap. Our family has a long tradition in it.

"But he's already carrying a lot of weight for a three-year-old; he was giving a lot of weight to older horses."

Israr, who was placed at Royal Ascot in June, was returning from a 105-day break and Gosden said: "We had a drought. We had three months when it was very dry and I backed off him. We've been patient with him."

Living Legend

It was lucky 13 for the two-year-old Legend Of Xanadu, who had already raced a dozen times yet found improvement to land the Listed Doncaster Stakes for Mick Channon to give the trainer his 2,500th domestic Flat winner.

The 12-1 shot, who won the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom in June, beat 6-4 favourite Aesop's Fables by a length and a quarter under Connor Beasley, who said: "He's a big fine horse and the boss has done a fantastic job with him.

"The boss has always thought highly of him and he was very confident today. I rode him over seven furlongs last time when he ran well to finish fourth at York and it was a matter of the ground. He has a nice rounded action and he goes through it.

"They went good fractions up front and I got him into a nice rhythm. I always thought when I asked him the question he'd give me lots of answers."

Replays, results and analysis

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