3 minute read
John and Thady Gosden kicked off Epsom Derby Day in the best possible way when Spiritual went pillar to post in the opening Group 3 The Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
Carrying the renowned colours of owner-breeder George Strawbridge, Spiritual was sent off a 9/1 chance on her return to a mile following having shaped with plenty of encouragement in the Group 3 William Hill Chartwell Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield on her seasonal reappearance.
Always towards the fore under a confident-looking Rab Havlin, the daughter of Invincible Spirit travelled kindly before being allowed to stretch her lead moving into the home straight.
Whilst those in behind quickly began to look in trouble, Havlin's mount effortlessly stretched further and further clear as she met the rising ground, ultimately coming home in splendid isolation to score by an unchallenged four- and three-quarter lengths from Karl Burke's Bright Thunder.
The like David Loughnane-trained Sparks Fly finished back in third.
"She loved it in front and got a bit of space around her which gave her plenty of confidence and she relaxed," said John Gosden.
"Leah, who rides her every day, does a great job as she's a handful and she goes off funny little places on her own otherwise she's off.
"A mile is her trip and that was an easy mile. She ran well in the seven-furlong race at Lingfield. It was lovely to win a Group 3 like that in good style, they gave it to her easy up front as they say.
"She's a good filly, but she sometimes worries about the others. The good thing is she got free there.
"She's got a Group 3 now, so we'll go and look at a Group 2 somewhere and if she doesn't win, she might be placed.
"I think there's one in France we've our eye on and we were just hoping to run well today and not go win like that."
On the performance of the runner-up Bright Thunder, Burke said: "She ran a brilliant race and I'm very happy with her.
"She loved the ground and probably could have done with it being a bit softer. I think that was probably a career best and we're very happy."
