Gosden hopeful promising colts will play their part at Ascot

I’m The One appears far from certain to line up in the Ribblesdale Stakes – but exciting colts Water To Wine and Saxon Street are set to represent John and Thady Gosden at Royal Ascot next month.

The daughter of Frankel earned rave reviews after impressing in her Newbury debut, quickly shortening into Oaks favouritism before chasing home current market leader Amelia Earhart in the Cheshire Oaks on her second start.

She did little to harm her reputation on the Roodee, but with Gosden senior ruling out an Epsom appearance, she could now also face a race against time to line-up at the Royal meeting.

He said: “I’m The One will be fine. We’re just giving her a little time to come right. The Ribblesdale might be a bit soon, but we’ll see.”

I’m The One’s absence would be another blow to the Clarehaven team’s Ascot squad after star miler Field Of Gold was scratched from the opening Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday morning.

However, the Newmarket handlers could hold all the aces in the King Edward VII Stakes, with both Blue Riband Trial winner and Cocked Hat third Saxon Street and taking Newbury scorer Water To Wine on course for the race often referred to as the ‘Ascot Derby’.

Gosden, who was speaking at Epsom’s pre-Derby Festival gallops morning, added: “Saxon Street is Ascot-bound, I think and I’ve learned down the years the Derby is not a race you come shooting from the hip at, it really isn’t.

“We’ve been lucky to win the race twice and have second, third and fourths in the Derby, but you know what’s required, and it wouldn’t have suited him at this stage.

“He’s still lightly-raced and it would all come a bit too soon from him, and trip-wise it might have been fine but the way they’re going to run a Derby – they’re not exactly going to hang about, are they?”

On Water To Wine, who missed an intended clash with Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini in the Chester Vase after a setback, Gosden continued: “He looks like being Ascot-bound as well and he’s a very tall, leggy horse and this probably wouldn’t have been his track anyway, but we’ll take it one step at a time and see.

“He’s running at Kempton on Wednesday. We missed a bit of time with him after Newbury, but he’s back now.”