Roaring Lion wins Juddmonte International

Roaring Lion confirmed his status as Europe’s leading 3-year-old male, and one of the finest horses in training, with his second consecutive Group 1 win against older horses in Wednesday’s $1.27 million Juddmonte International at York Racecourse in England.

Ridden by Oisin Murphy, Roaring Lion (3-1) easily beat Poet’s Word, the dominant older male in England this summer, by 3 1/4 lengths in the race at 1 1/4 miles. Poet’s Word, the 8-5 favorite, encountered trouble with three furlongs to go and could not threaten the winner.

Thundering Blue, a 50-1 chance, finished third, followed by Saxon Warrior, the winner of the English 2000 Guineas in May.

Thunder Snow, who won the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March, finished last of eight after setting the pace. The Juddmonte International was the first start since the Dubai World Cup for Thunder Snow.

Roaring Lion, owned by Qatar Racing and trained by John Gosden, has thrived at 1 1/4 miles, having won the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes against older horses at the distance at Sandown Park on July 7.

A Kentucky-bred by Kitten’s Joy, Roaring Lion earned a fees-paid berth for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 for his win on Wednesday. Poet’s Word earned a berth with his win in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Gosden said after Wednesday’s win that the BC Turf is a possibility for Roaring Lion, as are the $1.44 million Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 15 and the $1.67 million Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 20.

Roaring Lion, who was purchased for $160,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale, has won 6 of 10 starts. The Juddmonte International was his fourth stakes win.

Battaash tops Nunthorpe

Friday’s main race at York is the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at five furlongs on turf, led by the five-time stakes winner Battaash.

Trained by Charles Hills, Battaash won the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse on Aug. 3, and was second to Blue Point in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Blue Point is part of the 16-runner Nunthorpe field and is the most significant threat to Battaash, who was an odds-on favorite in the future book as of Wednesday.

The winner of the $405,685 Nunthorpe Stakes receives a fees-paid berth for the BC Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

Earlier on the York program, Stradivarius will attempt to win his fourth consecutive stakes in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at 2 1/16 miles. A win would secure a $1.27 million bonus for Stradivarius for sweeping four turf marathon races in England since May.

A 4-year-old colt, Stradivarius races for Bjorn Nielsen and Gosden and was the odds-on favorite to win the $260,000 Londsale Cup as of Wednesday.