Wathnan Racing are edging towards running Group Two Queen's Vase winner Gregory instead of Royal Ascot Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami in next months Group One Goodwood Cup.
Making his debut this season at Haydock in April when taking a Novice Stakes over 11.5f, he showed a good attitude to go clear in the final furlong when only having to be ridden briefly.
Stepped up in class when last seen a Goodwood in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes over 11f, he is a horse still learning on the job, but the further he went the better he was and once again he powered clear close home to win by three lengths.
Being a half brother to Lionel who also won the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes, also in his pedigree is relation to a Group One winner over the St Leger trip and a Group Two winner over 2m2f.
Stamina is something he does not lack and he showed that at Royal Ascot when making all under Frankie Dettori in the Queen's Vase over 1m6f.
Frankie’s done it at his last #RoyalAscot! 🙌
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 21, 2023
Gregory wins the Queen’s Vase for the Gosdens and @FrankieDettori! @Ascot pic.twitter.com/zKA2zCHFXO
Courage Mon Ami is disputing favouritism with Coltrane for the two-mile Group One during Glorious Goodwood, but he may have to wait for his chance to confirm the Royal Ascot form over Andrew Balding’s Gold Cup runner-up, with connections keen to keep the mileage low on the new star of the staying ranks.
Therefore Gregory is the preferred choice for the owners with him getting the three year old weight for age allowance and it would work as a perfect prep run ahead of the final Classic event of the season at Doncaster which he is the current 3/1 favourite for.
(Credit ATR) “They have both come out of Ascot really well, I was in there looking at them last week and I was absolutely delighted with how they look,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for the owners.
“Gregory is a big horse who is only going to get better with age and we won’t over race him this year. We will probably only run him twice more. His main aim is the Leger and he may well take in the Goodwood Cup on the way because the three-year-old weight allowance is really significant.
“At the moment we’re training both Courage Mon Ami and Gregory for the race, but only one of them will go. We’re favouring Gregory because of the weight allowance and we want to keep the miles low on Courage Mon Ami.”