English/Ire
Lead Artist limbers up for Queen Anne ‘humdinger’ with Newmarket workout
John and Thady Gosden put the final preparations on their leading Queen Anne Stakes contender at Newmarket on Wednesday morning when Lead Artist took to the July Course under Colin Keane.
Ridden to victory by Oisin Murphy in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month, Lead Artist will likely have a new pilot as he bids to go back-to-back in Group 1 company at Ascot next week, with Juddmonte's new retained rider Colin Keane in line to take the ride.
The traditional Royal Ascot curtain raiser looks set to be one of the contests of the week, with Lead Artist gearing up to take on Dancing Gemini, Rosallion and Notable Speech, who finished second, third and fourth respectively at Newbury.
With last year's English and Irish 2000 Guineas winners Notable Speech and Rosallion having their first runs of the year in the aforementioned Group 1 clash, trainer John Gosden is under no illusion that his contender will face a stiffer challenge come Ascot.
"Rosallion and Notable Speech are both going to come on for that Lockinge run and it is as good a Queen Anne as I have seen in a long time," said John Gosden. "Now those two have a race under their belt, it's quite a humdinger to start the meeting with.
"Lead Artist has matured a lot mentally, which some of us do as we get older, and I like his enthusiasm as you can put him anywhere in a race, even though handy is where we would all like to be."
With Royal Ascot just around the corner, Colin Keane made the journey to Newmarket to sit on the four-year-old son of Dubawi for the first time in a piece of work on the July Course.
Gosden added: "It's been a long time since the Lockinge so it's great to come here and of course there has been not much rain, so we have been pretty much stuck on the all-weather all spring.
"Colin hasn't ridden him before and maybe hasn't seen him before, so it was good he could come here and get a feel for him.
"He does hold his condition really well and he's a well-covered, powerful horse. But that comes from the sire line, and they do hold their condition incredibly well.
"We've been pleased with him, and he's had a nice blow here which should set him up nicely for next Tuesday."
After putting Lead Artist through his paces, Keane said: "He was very good in the Lockinge. He feels like a very straightforward horse, a good mover who feels fit and well.
"It was the first time I had seen Lead Artist, who looks a very straightforward type.
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