Unbeaten Lion roars to Gr. 2 Royal Lodge success

Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion maintained his unbeaten record in the Gr. 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

After wins in novice races on the July course and at Kempton, Roaring Lion made a successful switch to the Rowley Mile at Newmarket when winning the five-runner Gr. 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes by a neck from the odds-on Nelson. While Roaring Lion's inexperience was still evident, momentarily edging left half a furlong out, he showed a fantastic attitude to wrestle the lead back from Nelson.

Roaring Lion had made his winning debut in the same race won by the mighty Frankel first time out, and the grey colt also emulated Frankel by winning the Royal Lodge.

While Roaring Lion's win was a fifth in the Royal Lodge for trainer John Gosden, and a second for Qatar Racing after Elm Park in 2014, it was a first for jockey Oisin Murphy.

Oisin told reporters after the race: "I was still on the bridle passing the Bushes so I couldn't have sat on the bridle any longer. We went a good gallop, he travelled like a really nice horse and I must be the luckiest young lad in the world to ride horses like this.

When asked whether Roaring Lion could be a contender for the 2018 Derby, Oisin added: "To be honest I haven't ridden a Derby horse in a while so I'm not sure, but he certainly has a big future and he might not be running over a mile and a half anytime soon."

Roaring Lion is now 25/1 for the 2,000 Guineas and the same price for the Derby. He's by Kitten's Joy out of Street Sense mare Vionnet, who was third in a US Grade 1 over a mile and a quarter. Roaring Lion was bought by Qatar Racing's racing manager David Redvers for $160,000 at Keeneland's September Yearling Sale.