Oppenheimer dreaming of Arc for Golden Horn
Saturday’s Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) winner Golden Horn (Cape
Cross) was reported to be in good form by trainer John Gosden the morning after
his classic score.
The conditioner noted the Anthony Oppenheimer colorbearer, who
answered stamina questions in resounding fashion over 1 1/2 miles Saturday, will
revert to 10 furlongs for the July 4 Coral-Eclipse (Eng-G1). Derby second and stablemate
Jack Hobbs (Halling) will target the June 27 Irish Derby (Ire-G1).
“He’s not in the Irish Derby; it was something we
discussed at the supplementary stage that we wouldn’t put him in,” Gosden said of Golden Horn. “The Eclipse in July looks like the direction we’ll go and then possibly on to York for the
(August 19) Juddmonte (International [Eng-G1]). He’s come out of the race well and it is fair to say the Eclipse is uppermost in my mind.”
Gosden was winning his second Derby after Benny the Dip in 1997.
“It was a great race, run very strongly, and it was a clean affair,” he
remarked. “I thought the Dante (Eng-G2) form (where Golden Horn and Jack Hobbs were one-two,
respectively) would be confirmed. I thought Jack Hobbs was a little unbalanced, but he learned a lot from York, whereas the other horse is more the finished article.”
Gosden said he would like to see Golden Horn race beyond
three.
“It would be wonderful if Golden Horn was kept in
training next year,” he stated. “The owner is very sporting and it would be my wish to do so. I
think it is great when you get good three-year-olds racing at four.”
Gosden, who formerly trained in the United States, was also full
of praise for Saturday’s Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile).
“I thought it was brilliant,” he said. “When I saw they
had left him in front, I thought ‘he is going to kill them.’ They just let him float along. It
is unbelievable for American racing. I was there for the last one in 1978;
although I was young it was great to see a horse do it.
“What a tough horse he is,” Gosden added. “He had a
tough Kentucky Derby (G1) then he ran in the slop at Pimlico. The horse must be made of iron. Bob
Baffert has done the most brilliant job with the horse.”
Oppenheimer, the owner-breeder of Golden Horn, told At The Races Sunday he
would love to run his colt in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1), and he would later like
to stand the horse at stud in Britain.
Oppenheimer noted a tilt at the Eclipse will give Golden Horn the chance to race right-handed for the first time.
“I would certainly be up for the Eclipse,” the 78-year-old said. “I’d just like to make sure because he would be going the other way around and one or two horses don’t like going a different way. We’ve just got to make sure
he’s OK leading with the correct foot.
“He’s had three races (this season) and we just want to see how he handles a couple more races before we decide on anything else,” Oppenheimer added. “I’d love to run him in the Arc. I want to make sure he goes the other way around and he wouldn’t want to run on soft to heavy ground. He’d just hate it. There’s an awful lot to think about.”
Oppenheimer affirmed that he would like to stand Golden Horn in Britain when his racing days are over so he can breed his own mares and visit the horse.
“The intention is, at the moment, to stand him somewhere
in Newmarket or certainly in England, anyway,” he said. “That is what I would love to
see. I want to use him and go and see him when I want to. I can’t stand him at my stud as
it’s not big enough. My ambition is to stand him for the British breeders rather
than anyone else.”
A day after claiming his second Epsom Derby, jockey
Frankie Dettori said Sunday his win aboard Golden Horn was the “most thrilling moment,” of his career, even topping his historic seven-winner day at Ascot in 1996.
“I told my dad yesterday after the race that in my 28-years of riding that was my most thrilling moment, even more so than Ascot,” Dettori
confessed. “Maybe because I’m older and realized how important it was, or the fact that I am running out of years. It was really special.”
Dettori noted it wasn’t all smooth sailing Saturday.
“When I hit a flat spot 2 1/2 furlongs out, I did think maybe the stamina had run out,” he admitted. “However, when I gave him a smack he responded and when we
got against Jack Hobbs I knew then that he was going to win. It felt like he pulled
the handbrake off and it was an impressive turn of foot he showed.”
Dettori has endured a somewhat tumultuous two years, in
which he split with longtime retainer Godolphin and also served a six-month suspension
for a drug positive; however, his career has been resurgent as of late.
“One press person said to me that I have had a
rollercoaster career. I said, ‘no, I’ve had a colorful career,'” Dettori
stated. “I have tried to be
myself. Everybody has ups and downs, the most important thing is to be positive and look
forward. I have had a few knockers on the way, those that like to kick you when you are down, but
I never doubted myself. Yesterday was a personal satisfaction.
“I’ll be honest with you, when you reach 50,
for a jockey it is about the average age you stop. I am going to enjoy the next six
years and if I can squeeze in another Derby that would be great, but maybe I am getting a
bit greedy.”
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