bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes
Group 3, Sandown 14:25
£80,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
1m 1f 209y, Class 1   
Friday 22nd April 2022

1 Mostahdaf 1/2F
2 Foxes Tales 3/1
3 Juan Elcano 6/1
3 ran Distances: 2½l, 1½l
Winning time: 2m 12.59s (slow by 5.59s)

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Mostahdaf, a son of Frankel went from strength to strength last term, with his only defeat coming in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Having handled this step up to a mile and a quarter well on his seasonal return, he looks as though he will go on to compete at a higher level this season.

Jim Crowley’s mount, sent off the 1-2 favourite, always looked to have the measure of Juan Elcano and having passed him two furlongs out, easily held off the staying-on Foxes Tales to score by two and a half lengths.

“He ran well throughout last season,” said Thady Gosden. “The St James’s Palace Stakes didn’t quite go according to plan, but we stepped him up to a mile and quarter here for the first time and he stayed it quite well.

“He relaxes very well, but the mile and a quarter suits him well for the moment.”

Trainers Quotes

A return to Sandown for the Brigadier Gerard Stakes or the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot will now be on the agenda for Mostahdaf.

Gosden added: “He won over nine furlongs last year. It is a stiff mile and quarter here and the ground is riding a little bit dead at the moment, but he stayed well and it was a competitive enough race.

“There were three horses, but they are three solid horses and he did well.

“It can always be a bit trappy with three runners but they went a fairly solid clip the whole way and he put up a good fight when he had to.

“We are hopeful he will come on for that run. The Prince of Wales’s or a Brigadier Gerard will come under consideration, I would imagine.”

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bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes
£80,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1
3 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (1)     Mostahdaf 4 9-3 John & Thady Gosden Jim Crowley 1/2F
2 (2) 2½ Foxes Tales 4 9-0 Andrew Balding David Probert 3/1
3 (3) 1½ Juan Elcano 5 9-0 Kevin Ryan Kevin Stott 6/1

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