Michelangelo in line for St Leger challenge

Buoyed by comeback king Nathaniel’s success in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday, the in-form Gosden is already making St Leger plans with the talented Michelangelo more likely to take in a Classic trial at Glorious Goodwood later this month than run at Newmarket on Thursday.

There has been plenty of money about for the recent Newmarket winner, who sits only behind the odds-on Camelot in the Doncaster betting, but it is Shantaram who could appear in the Bahrain Trophy in two days.

“I’m not sure we’ll run both of them – Shantaram will probably run and we were more thinking of the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood with Michelangelo,” said Gosden.

Last year’s Leger hero Masked Marvel, who took the Bahrain Trophy 12 months ago, cantered yesterday as the trainer looked ahead to this week’s July meeting at his local track.

“He is entered in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes but we’ll watch the ground and he’s also in the King George at Ascot on Saturday week,” said Gosden.

Currently in quite exquisite form, Gosden could stretch his influence overseas as he revealed some fascinating plans for his other stable stars.

He said: “Gatewood could be a possible Melbourne Cup horse but he needs to qualify by winning a Group race.

“Questioning is going for the Arlington Million and Camborne could go for the American St Leger at Arlington Park. Newfangled will run at York (Lowther Stakes).”

However, he believes Andre Fabre’s Golden Lilac will be near-enough unbeatable for his runners in Friday’s Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes.

Gosden is committing Elusive Kate and Windsor Forest Stakes winner Joviality for the Group One heat, while another Royal Ascot star, Fallen For You, looks less likely to take part due to ground conditions.

Gosden’s equally prolific stable jockey William Buick is set for the ride on crack Australian sprinter Ortensia in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Paul Messara-trained Ortensia won the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on World Cup night and was ninth in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, being ridden by Craig Williams on both occasions. The field is headed by Bated Breath and Richard Hannon’s Strong Suit.

Marco Botti expects Law Of The Range to put up a good defence in her attempt to win the Arkle Finance Pipalong Stakes for the second year running at Pontefract.

Fifth to the John Gosden-trained Joviality in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot, Botti said: “She’s back in her own company with soft ground which I don’t think will be a problem. She won the race last year and goes there with a good chance.”

Rhys Flint, the former champion conditional jockey and Northern Racing College graduate, continues his transition to the training ranks when Captain Scarlett runs at Uttoxeter tonight and looks to follow up a recent success at Hexham.