Weekend Review

John Gosden won the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday for the third time in the last five years with Lead Artist gaining his first victory at the highest level. The Juddmonte owned colt had reportedly been unsuited by the slow ground on his reappearance in Group 2 company at Sandown last month. A different proposition here, Oisin Murphy's mount was heavily supported beforehand and he showed a fine atttitude to get the better of Dancing Gemini to prevail by a neck. The Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot is his next target where he will renew rivalry with the runner-up and the third and fourth. Both Rosallion and Notable Speech were making their seasonal bows and, while the pair travelled strongly, they both got tired late on and will strip fitter next time. It promises to be a terrific start to the Royal meeting.

Roger Varian will have had mixed emotions seeing former Carlburg inmate Eydon return to form in the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes which opened the card. However, the Newmarket trainer had a successful afternoon nevertheless with Saddaad winning the valuable London Gold Cup on his handicap debut. A well bred son of Pinatubo from a family his stable know well - they trained the dam - he battled on well in the closing stages to win by a neck off a mark of 95. The Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot is likely to be his next target, although he may not want rattling quick ground.

Stable companion My Cloud defied a ten pounds rise for his win at Ascot last month by following up in the one mile handicap off a rating of 90. Lightly raced and unexposed, the half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Palace Pier had hacked up at the Berkshire track on his return to action in the spring. Whilst it wasn't quite as straightforward here, the son of Blue Point quickened up well off a steady early gallop reeling in Run Boy Run late on. A head winner, he ought to get a sufficient rise to line up in the Royal Hunt Cup at the Roya meeting. Entries for the one mile cavalry charge are set to be published on Tuesday this week. An official rating of 92 was required to get in last year's renewal.

Congratulations to James Reveley who won the French Champion Hurdle for a second time at Auteuil on Saturday. One of nine Grade 1 events run over obstacles in France, the triple champion jockey partnered the Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm trained El Clavel who got the better of warm favourite Losange Bleu in the homestraight. Switched to the stands side, the five year old ran on strongly and is a hugely exciting prospect. I look forward to speaking to James during the summer regarding the plans for the Spanish Moon gelding. Bought by the George family as a yearling, he is fast improving young horse who is considered a chaser in the making. The only disappointing aspect was the lack of media coverage - the Racing Post pushed the boat out and managed to fit a small report in the bottom left hand corner of page 10. One could imagine it would have got front page coverage if one of James's weighing room colleagues had won such a prestigious event.

Finally, Godolphin unleashed a potentially top notch juvenile at Newmarket on Sunday in the shape of Treanmor. Bought for €2,000,000, the son of Frankel quickened up in the dip to win going away by four lengths and booked his place at Royal Ascot. The Listed Chesham Stakes on the final afternoon (21st June) is his most likely destination. On the same theme, I am working at Carlisle on Monday and, if the vibes are correct, Karl Burke unleashes another highly touted youngster, namely Venetian Sun. A daughter of Starman, who cost 240,000gns as a yearling, she belongs to Tony Bloom and is considered Queen Mary Stakes material. There will be some long faces at Spigot Lodge Stables in Middleham if she fluffs her lines on her racecourse debut.