 |
 |
|
|
|
Racing News |
| Tweet |
racing news /
Longchamp Target for Gosden's Doncaster Cup Winner
15/09/10
When the John Gosden-trained Samuel suffered a serious tendon injury after finishing a short-head second to the smart stayer Distinction in a listed race at Sandown in the summer of 2008, it looked to all intents and purposes as though the racing career of the gelded son of Sakhee had come to an end, writes Elliot Slater.
 |
What an amazing turn around in fortune then for Samuel's owners, the Normandie Stud, in seeing him win the Group 2 Doncaster Cup in style from a strong field on Town Moor, running on bravely to deny Tastahil and Motrice in what horse racing tips viewed as an above average renewal of the historic contest.
A half-brother to the classy Duncan, Samuel had spent nearly two years at rest and was gradually brought back to fitness after suffering an injury that has ended the racing career of many other horses, and had already proved in running Opinion Poll to half-a-length at York last time out in the Lonsdale Cup that he had returned to the fray every bit as good as he had been before his enforced absence.
Confidently ridden by William Buick, Samuel powered through to take up the running with a quarter of a mile to travel and never looked likely to relinquish the lead, even though Tastahil gave it his all under Richard Hills in second place. At the line there was a length-and-a-quarter separating the pair.
Gosden was quick to nominate the Prix du Cadran on 'Arc' day at Longchamp on Ocotober 3 as the next stop for Samuel, with the proviso that he would not run if the ground came up very testing. Although a six-year-old, Samuel has only run 12 times in his career and has relatively few miles on the clock, meaning racegoers can look forward to seeing him in the major 'Cup' races throughout next season.
