3 minute read

Lake Forest showed he was a horse with a very exciting future when storming to success in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.

The William Haggas-trained runner was sent off 16/1 to claim victory on the Knavesmire despite finishing a good second to Clive Cox's Jasour in the July Stakes earlier in the campaign.

Action Point took the field along at a decent tempo, but he soon backed out of things as the field approached the furlong marker and those towards the near set down to fight it out. Aidan O'Brien's Windsor Castle Stakes runner-up Johannes Brahms just struck the front entering the final furlong, but it was Lake Forest and Tom Marquand who showed the smarter turn of foot. The winning margin was a length with Johannes Brahms holding on to finish second and King's Gamble a further length behind in third.

The 9/4 market leader, Kylian, struggled for racing room on a couple of occasions but was ultimately well beaten in this Group 2 prize.

Lake Forest was cut to 10/1 by Paddy Power for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Haggas, who landed the Lowther Stakes with Relief Rally yesterday, said: "At Newmarket last time he just ran awful. He got upset beforehand, he was stupid to post, he was edgy in the stalls, whereas today he was really calm, good going down and we saddled him in the stables and walked him across.

"Newmarket can be like that when you box them up at home, but whatever happened he didn't run at all.

"Prior to that he had run a very good race in the July Stakes. I had to just put a line through his last run, I had no choice.

"We had always planned to come for this, after his race last time it almost put us off, but we thought why not have a go.

"He's owned by a new syndicate so I've no idea who will do the (Gimcrack) speech. I probably put them off coming today, you couldn't fancy him really although I did say to my son, I thought he'd run well.

"We've had a good week and we've got a few chances tomorrow."