John Gosden praised jockey Ryan Moore for both his riding skills and post-race advice after helping Laurel book her return to Group race company after steering her to the biggest success of her career in the Racing TV Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes at Kempton Park today.
After signing off last season filling the runner-up spot on her Group One debut in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket the daughter of Kingman proved a class above her back in Listed company to complete a 4.8-1 treble for Gosden and his son Thady.
Barely having to get out of second gear the 8-13 favourite, who scored over course and distance on her second outing last year, cruised to the front in a matter of strides under three-time champion jockey Moore down the home straight.
The odds-on chance only needed to be kept up to her work to score by a comfortable three and a half lengths to complete a treble on the card for the Newmarket based father and son training partnership.
John Gosden said: “Not only is he (Ryan Moore) probably the greatest international jockey but he is also the greatest adviser after a race. What he tells me after a race is worth a great deal. He guides you well and he made a lot of sense there.
“Ryan was very happy with her and he likes her a lot. The filly was very immature as a two year old and then she has come through.
“Her immaturity probably cost her the Sun Chariot and I think not knowing much about it as well as she hit the front and wandered about a bit. She is learning all the time.
“She is a lovely filly. She didn’t do a lot last season. She won a novice and then won here and was second in a Group One. She is very much an improving filly. Her mother has not had a lot of luck as a broodmare but this filly has turned it around.
An outing in Group Two company appears to be next up for Laurel with Gosden senior earmarking either the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on May 7th or the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes at the Curragh as potential options ahead of an engagement at Royal Ascot.
Gosden added: “Ryan has given me two options so I’ll be scratching my head but I’m clear with what I’m doing with the first one.
“The Duke Of Cambridge (at Royal Ascot) is an obvious target but talking to Ryan it is what we do between then and now.
“If it was fast ground at Newmarket (for the Dahlia Stakes) he was steering me elsewhere which is very good advice. They are on them, they feel and they know them.
“Thady has mentioned a race in Ireland (Ridgewood Pearl Stakes) so that is a possibility. He has been reading the book and I haven’t so he is ahead of me on that. He is always race planning well ahead of me.”
