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| Staff Writer |
French Master delivered a scintillating late surge to capture the Copper Horse Stakes at Ascot, providing Wathnan Racing with another memorable triumph whilst showcasing the training prowess of John & Thady Gosden. The 4YO colt, making his debut for the Qatar-based operation following his purchase after a Goodwood success, demonstrated remarkable tenacity in the fourteen-furlong contest. Racing in first-time blinkers, French Master initially settled towards the rear of the field under James Doyle, who had already secured victory for the same connections earlier on the card. The retained jockey found himself further back than ideal as the pace developed steadily throughout the early stages.
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Doyle made his winning move by switching French Master to the widest part of the track entering the home straight. The tactical manoeuvre proved inspired as the colt unleashed a devastating finishing kick, surging clear of his rivals to score by two and a half lengths from Caballo De Mar, with Samui claiming the final podium position a further half-length adrift. John Gosden was quick to praise the breeding behind his latest winner, highlighting the connection to previous stable star
Gregory. "Philippa Cooper had Gregory before, who won the Vase here, a good Cup horse, and I think this horse might go that way," the Newmarket handler revealed. "Philippa is an amazing breeder because she breeds horses with stamina, proper middle distance horses, something we don't see much. Therefore when she has a horse like this, it's very attractive to people to buy to run here."
Thady Gosden acknowledged the difficulty of the task facing his charge from an unfavourable starting position. "We were drawn wide, so it wasn't an easy ask. James had him a little bit further back than you'd like, but he made a decisive move in the straight and it was a brave performance from French Master to do what he did," he explained. "He did it the hard way today; it looked an even pace, but we'd have to see the sectionals. He won in pretty good style, all things considered. He is a quality horse." Doyle provided insight into the challenges encountered during the race, particularly with his mount's early behaviour. "We had a bit of a give and take there! We had to try and find our mutual ground and, whilst French Master didn't help me out early on, he certainly helped me out from two furlongs out. I was too far back, but we were going no gallop. He walked out of the gate, which they can do sometimes with the blinkers on first time."
The jockey's assessment of French Master's temperament highlighted both the challenges and rewards of working with such a talented individual. "He is a character and the guys do a great job with him because you have to be on his case with him at home every morning. Rab, as we know, is a master at teaching these young horses and he's brought him through his career very nicely," Doyle noted, acknowledging the contribution of Rab Havlin to the horse's development. Richard Brown of Wathnan Racing reflected on the significance of the victory, drawing parallels with previous stable success. "It is a lucky race that French Master won last time. We were watching it closely because obviously Courage Mon Ami won that race before coming here and really, probably, launching Wathnan. I am delighted for the whole team. A huge amount of work goes into it, from the guys that work for me, to all the Wathnan team, Qatar… it is very special."
1st- French Master (John & Thady Gosden, James Doyle, Frankel)
2nd- Caballo De Mar (George Scott, Callum Shepherd, Phoenix Of Spain)
3rd- Samui (Gordon Elliott, Colin Keane, Siyouni)