3 minute read

Gelding hands Dubawi his 42nd Group 1 winner

The John Gosden-trained Lord North (4 g ex Najoum by Giant's Causeway) emerged as the next star for Darley’s perennial sire Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) as he showed his class in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Royal Ascot, becoming the son of the Dubai Millennium’s (Seeking The Gold) 42nd Group 1 winner. 

The gelding came into the race off the back of victory in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) on June 7 and as the field rounded the turn the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Addeybb (Pivotal) had edged to the front. 

But Lord North emerged out of the pack, producing a powerful burst of speed to pull past the William Haggas-trained gelding, eventually beating him by three and three quarter lengths. Barney Roy (Excelebration) was another length and a quarter further back in third, while the well-fancied dual Group 1 winner Japan (Galileo) never looked happy and finished half length further adrift in fourth. 

In winning the Group 1, Lord North provided Gosden with his fourth win the race, with the Newmarket trainer sending out The Fugue (Dansili) to win the Group 1 in 2014, while he saddled to Muhtarram (Alleged) to victory in the 1994 and 1995 editions of contest and he said gelding Lord North had been the making of him. 

“Lord North was gelded (after 2019 spring campaign), he needed to be,” said Gosden. “He was tormenting himself. Testosterone is the most dangerous drug in the world, and he is a lovely horse to be around now.

“Halling had a hock injury as a three-year-old and it messed his career up. This boy just became aggressive at the gate and was becoming a danger to himself, let alone others.

“Lord North has a lovely character now and when they let Bangkok have his head as I thought that would do one day, boy we had an honest gallop.

“Japan missed the break which messed him up for him and Addeybb was right up there. We had a good even pace to run at and he has come from last. He was ridden very cool. Rab Havlin told James Doyle that was the way to ride him. Rab has ridden him in all his work and rode him at Haydock.

“James did the job well on him. James is a retained jockey to Godolphin/Darley.

“Frankie had always liked Mehdaayih. He was going for her and just stayed with her. He had a beautiful run through and thought she was going to win, but she got tired in the last furlong. She is not a filly you can give a race to and come back ten days later. She will have benefitted from that race, but not ten days after her last run. She has run a lovely race and will be aimed at the Nassau.

“Lord North has got better and better. He is very powerful and, for a gelding, he has a great body to him. I was looking at the race and talking to Peter [Shoemark, John Gosden’s Racing Office Manager] and I thought this race was winnable for Lord North, so at 9:55am we put him – it was very late.

“I was toying between this race and the Listed Wolferton under a penalty as you want to have a winner at Royal Ascot. I said no, let’s go for this.

“I would say give him a week, ten days and see how we are. He has had two very quick races. He blew up at Haydock. Rab said at the furlong pole, he went for his girths, so he did well to hang on there. He has had two hard races, so we’ll freshen him up and then make decisions.”

The gelding is out dual winning Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) mare Najoum, who is herself a three-quarter sister to Listed winner Ferdinanda, while she is also a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Group 3 winner Discourse (Street Cry). 

Discourse herself is the dam of Listed-winning pair Hadith (New Approach) and Discursus (Dubawi). Najoum is also a half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 winner Out For A Spin (Hard Spun) who won last year’s Ashland Stakes (Gr 1, 8.5f). 

The gelding is one of four stakes winners bred on the Dubawi / Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) cross and becomes the first Group 1 winner for the nick. 

Giant’s Causeway is proving himself a good broodmare sire and Lord North becomes the 23rd Group 1 winner out of daughters of the stallion. 

Meanwhile, Dubawi will be represented in Australia this season by his superfast Group 1-winning son Too Darn Hot, who will stand his first season at Darley’s Kelvinside base for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).

Wow! Lord North wins the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes in stunning style! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/TxnYUgj2px

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 17, 2020