Lead Artist justifies strong market support to down big guns for Gosdens and Oisin Murphy

Two weeks after being on the wrong side of a tight finish in the 2,000 Guineas, joint-trainers John and Thady Gosden and owners Juddmonte were back on top after Lead Artist edged out Dancing Gemini in a high-quality Group 1 BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes.

Field Of Gold's defeat in the Guineas proved the catalyst for the Gosdens adopting a "best available" approach for riding arrangements, and Kieran Shoemark's loss turned out to be Oisin Murphy's gain on this occasion.

Gosden snr pulled a considerable rabbit from his Panama in the same race last year when Audience caused a 22-1 upset but, despite trailing in last at Sandown on his previous run, there was a good deal more confidence behind Lead Artist this time.

Starting odds of 17-2, having been as big as 16-1 on Saturday morning, Lead Artist was always well placed to strike on the heels of the leaders and, despite being headed by Dancing Gemini in the final furlong, fought back to win by a neck to give the Gosdens a fifth success in Newbury's premier Flat race.

"He's got a great deal of talent," said John Gosden, having watched Lead Artist reverse a 13-length deficit with the runner-up from the bet365 Mile. "They watered at Sandown before the end of the jumps season, and then it rained on top of that, so he got stuck in the mud last time but the race brought him on a lot.

"He'd been working fine before that but a lot of it was on the all-weather because it had been so dry. He came with a nice run but blew up at the furlong pole and dropped right out. Kieran looked after him after that which was great.

"He likes summer, fast ground and he showed that today. He's a powerful horse with a lot of speed. I thought he'd be in the first three but didn't necessarily think he'd win it. It was such an elite race that if you finished in the first four, you're a high-class horse."

A spread-out Lockinge field charge for the line with Lead Artist (pink cap) narrowly ahead of Dancing Gemini (orange cap)Credit: Edward Whitaker

While praising Shoemark for his part, Gosden gave a glowing appraisal of Murphy's ride on the winner.

"He got a peach of a ride from Oisin," said the winning trainer. "We discussed it before and he gave the horse some space. It was a perfect ride. Remember, this horse has won over nine furlongs, so whereas Ryan [Moore on Dancing Gemini] has come to get him, he had the stamina to come back again. This was a stiff test at mile today and he has a reserve of talent."

With connections of the runner-up and third-placed Rosallion keen on a rematch at Royal Ascot, the Queen Anne Stakes looks set to kick the royal meeting off in style next month.

'5-1 for the Queen Anne is massive' - will the Lockinge form be turned around at Royal Ascot?

"The Queen Anne is the next obvious step," said Gosden. "If it's nice ground that's where he'll go. When you look at his build and the way he's made, I think a mile and a quarter would be too much distance for him.

"He's got so much natural speed that the last thing he wants to be doing is going a mile and a quarter with an uphill finish. He's fast and I think the stiff mile of Ascot will suit him best."

Oisin Murphy takes the congratulations of John Gosden after his winning Lockinge rideCredit: Edward Whitaker

No longer first choice for the Gosdens, Shoemark had to settle for sixth on the pace-setting Fallen Angel, while Murphy's luck was well and truly in having already committed to Lead Artist before seventh-placed Tamfana was confirmed for the Lockinge rather than next weekend's Prix d'Ispahan, otherwise it might have been someone else's name next to Lead Artist on the racecard.

"I was never going to jump off a Juddmonte horse [after committing]," said Murphy, who was fined £140 by stewards for removing his helmet after the race whilst still on board the winner. "It's been a while since I won a Group 1 for Clarehaven and it's my first Group 1 victory for Juddmonte.

"I was really taken aback by him. He has a great demeanour and showed a lot of guts against Dancing Gemini. He had a lot of stable confidence behind him and they did a great job preparing him.

"Ryan Moore beat me in a photo-finish in this race a few years ago, so it was nice to beat him today because it's quite rare."

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