Kinross primed for another Lennox tussle at Goodwood

It is hard to imagine the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes without Kinross and Ralph Beckett’s evergreen stalwart is back in search of a third victory at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The popular eight-year-old has been a standing dish in this contest on the Sussex Downs, taking home the first prize in 2021 and 2023.

After showing no signs of decline when reappearing with a narrow defeat in Haydock’s John of Gaunt Stakes, he now makes his fifth appearance in Tuesday’s Group Two event, looking to better last year’s third.

“He’s been great since Haydock,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Marc Chan.

“I would say it’s as competitive as any other Lennox he has run in, that’s for sure. It’s a very open race, but we go there in good shape.

“Every race is a bonus for him at this stage of his career, so fingers crossed he runs well.”

Andrew Balding struck with Sandrine in 2022 and attempts to repeat the dose with Jonquil, who returns to the distance over which he landed the Greenham Stakes after failing to figure down at six furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup.

Also bidding to bounce back to his best is John and Thady Gosden’s Audience, who took home the spoils impressively 12 months ago but has struggled to trouble the judge since.

Gosden said: “He hasn’t quite repeated last year’s run yet. We sent him down to Dubai, which might not have been the smartest move in the world, running him over six furlongs.

“He’s well in himself and happy. He enjoys the track and I think he’ll run a big race again.”

It was Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony who denied the aforementioned Kinross earlier in the season. He has been freshened up since that victory in Lancashire and his handler said: “Ten Bob Tony loves a bit of ease in the ground and goes well fresh.

“It was a huge performance to come back and beat Kinross at Haydock and he’s obviously a very talented horse.

“He’s a real yard favourite, he’s completely chilled, a real kind, straightforward horse to deal with.”

Walker in fact holds a strong hand in the seven-furlong event and will also saddle his Jersey Stakes scorer Noble Champion, who represents the same owners and will be ridden, like at Royal Ascot, by Kieran Shoemark.

“Ascot wasn’t a surprise at all, as he’s always been an exceptionally good work horse,” continued Walker.

“He’s exuberant and playful, and the set up was ideal, although I do worry about the nature of Goodwood compared to Ascot as it’s a completely different track.

“We’ve always had huge belief in this horse. On his day when everything’s right, he’s very, very good.

“It’s quite hard to get everything right with him, but I think when he gets it right, he’s an exceptional horse and he has been flying since Ascot.”