Gosden team out to add another John Musker victory - but which of their three-strong line-up is the one to be on?

This race has been won by either the Gosden stable or Roger Varian in six of the last ten years and, in the absence of any Varian-trained runner this season, it’s the Gosden team that look best placed to score again. But which of their three representatives is the one to be on this time around?

Running Lion is the class act of the field according to BHA ratings, but her figure is dropping. She was rated 114 after finishing second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp last season, but is now down to 110 having failed to beat a rival on her last two starts in Group 1s.

This is her golden opportunity to prove that she hasn’t totally lost her form because it’s a huge drop from the top level into Listed company, but can she take full advantage of that?

Connections clearly aren’t certain she is putting her best foot forward because they now enlist first-time blinkers, but that isn’t a negative with this yard. The Gosden team have a healthy 24 per cent strike-rate with those in blinkers, hood or a visor for the first time in recent years.

That is enough to convince me that they might get Running Lion right back to her best this time and makes her the pick over stablemates Life Is Beautiful and Rainbows Edge. Life Is Beautiful is the improver of the Gosden trio and looks the best alternative to Running Lion.

However, the bigger danger to her may be the Charlie Appleby-trained Beautiful Love. She comes in just 2lb behind Running Lion on BHA figures and Appleby won this race with his sole runner in recent years, Sapphire Seas.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Going report

The ground was officially good to soft on Tuesday, when clerk of the course Richard Aldous said: "It's windy and dry today but we're forecast some rain in the morning from around 5am. We'll have to see what we get, but I think there's every chance we'll be back at soft ground."

What they say

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Rainbows Edge, Running Lion and Life Is Beautiful 
Rainbows Edge ran a very good race when second in the Lyric Stakes at York the time before last, but then may have found the mile and a half trip beyond her in the Galtres. Hopefully this drop back to a mile and a quarter should suit her better. Things didn't go to plan at Goodwood last time for Running Lion, when there was a flag start and she didn't really enjoy the deep ground. She's been freshened up since and hopefully this drop in class will see her in a better light. Life Is Beautiful ran a nice race at Deauville last time and the forecast rain should play to her strengths. 

Ed Walker, trainer of Miss Tonnerre
She hasn't lived up to the high hopes we had for her when she finished fourth behind Desert Flower in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster this time last year. I thought she was one of our best three-year-old fillies this season and I still do. She disappointed in a handicap at Ascot last time, but that was her first run for a while and they also went very slowly.
Reporting by James Stevens

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