Audience and jockey Rab Havlin defied a penalty as Gr1 winners came to the fore in the Gr2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes over seven furlongs on Day 1 of the 2024 Glorious Goodwood festival on Tuesday.
Five-year-old Audience, who is trained by John and Thady Gosden for owner/breeder Cheveley Park Stud, tracked pace-setting Art Power into the straight, and from there the duo did not see another rival.
The 4/1 winner went clear to beat Art Power by four lengths, while Kinross, who in three previous Lennox Stakes appearances had won twice and finished second, came out of the pack to take third, a length further back.
Rob Havlin steers Audience clear (Pic – Goodwood Racecourse)
Audience pulled off a shock earlier in the season to win Newbury’s G1 Lockinge Stakes, before finishing fifth in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
John Gosden said: “Audience has defied a 5lb penalty. It is amazing – he has grown up, why haven’t we? There is hope for us all. He has matured a lot mentally and had the hood off today. Rab really knows him and rides him most mornings. He nearly takes him home with him!
“Audience has always had the talent and [Cheveley Park Stud owner] Mrs Thompson kindly let us keep him in training as a lead horse to Inspiral, which he did in the Lockinge. It was not a fluke when he won the Lockinge and the mile at Ascot was too stiff last time.
“He will go to the City of York Stakes now – he was second to Kinross in it last year. He will go there without a penalty which helps. That’s the Baldrick plan. We have also put him in the Prix de la Foret. Last year’s Good to Firm ground would be perfect but we wouldn’t want traditional Parisienne autumn ground.
“He has the speed for a race like the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. He could be a horse for it. Travelling would be no problem.”
Havlin said: “After Audience won the Lockinge, I told everyone it was no fluke and they laughed. He has always had a lot of ability.
“He wasn’t very competitive in the Lennox round here last year with the hood on, but he has really sharpened up. He’s so controllable now, as well.
“I didn’t think we were going overly quick up the hill, but I let him go at the three and by God he was fast. You’ve got to make a plan as you go along with this lad – it’s all about what it happening on the occasion. ”
Chris Richardson of Cheveley Park Stud said: “Plainly, Audience didn’t quite stay the stiff mile at Ascot.
“I was thrilled that Pat Thompson [owner] was there at Newbury when he won and I’m sorry that they are not here today, but defying a penalty has certainly given everyone plenty to think about.
“We will probably go to York for the City Of York Stakes, where he doesn’t carry a penalty, then it’s all to play for. We’ll look at all those races over his favoured seven furlongs.
“I think he’s grown up, he continues to improve and taking the hood off today made a big difference – that was very much Rab’s suggestion. We have stuck with Rab the whole way through, the horses continue to thrive and they have a great relationship.”
Tim Easterby said of Art Power: “He is a pony, but he’s wonderful and tries like hell. He has an unbelievable temperament. We thought he’d run well. We wanted to run him over a fast seven somewhere; he ran well at York over seven. If it had been softer, it would have been better, but he goes on any ground. We want to go for the big race at Ascot in October, but where we go before then, I don’t know. We’ll get him back home first. But he’s a wonderful horse.”
HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes (Group 2)
1 Audience (Cheveley Park Stud) John & Thady Gosden 5-9-11 Robert Havlin 5-9-11
2 Art Power (King Power Racing Co Ltd) Tim Easterby 7-9-06 David Allan 16/1
3 Kinross (Marc Chan) Ralph Beckett 7-9-06 Rossa Ryan 7/2F
8 ran
*John & Thady Gosden – 47th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
Robert Havlin – 4th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
*John Gosden had 42 QGF wins in his own name
