Newmarket: Oxagon scoops Craven Stakes success for in-form Gosden team
Under the guidance of champion jockey Oisin Murphy, Oxagan underlined potential 2000 Guineas credentials with victory in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket; Also on the day, Run To Freedom took top honours in the Abernant Stakes at the fourth time of asking.
Thursday 16 April 2026 16:50, UK
Oxagon threw his hat into the 2000 Guineas ring with a front-running victory in the Betway Craven Stakes.
With Futurity Trophy winner Hawk Mountain and the promising Hankelow notable absentees due to the drying ground, dual Kempton scorer Hidden Force was the 11-10 favourite to strengthen Charlie Appleby's potential challenge for the season's opening Classic.
Oxagon, not seen since finishing last of five behind Hawk Mountain in testing conditions at Doncaster in October, was a 7-4 shot for his seasonal debut in first-time cheekpieces and benefited from a controlling ride by Oisin Murphy to win comfortably by two lengths.
John Gosden, who trains the winner in partnership with his son Thady, said: "We were saying after he won at Sandown (last year) we had a high opinion of him and we probably let the race get away at Doncaster (Champagne Stakes), but we'll probably see the winner Puerto Rico back here in two weeks' time.
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"I would admit he was a tad disappointing in the Dewhurst - after being one of the last off the bridle he didn't seem to finish off up the hill.
"We stupidly ran him in heavy ground at Doncaster in the Futurity, but thankfully the jockey was cleverer than me and pulled him up after two furlongs and just let him enjoy his day out.
"He's trained well and the addition of cheekpieces has just focused his mind. We popped them on for a piece of work and liked the way he went in them and I think it's just focused him.
"Things come easy to him and he's quite dreamy at home, always looking for low-flying seagulls, so it's just keeping him on the job at hand."
While Gosden won his second Craven with the brilliant Field Of Gold 12 months ago, the Clarehaven handler is still chasing an elusive first win in the Guineas.
Bookmakers cut Oxagon's odds to 25-1 from 50-1 and connections are happy to roll the dice, with Gosden adding: "Another Craven, we're quite good at winning that!
"Oisin feels it's an open Guineas and we should go for it. It doesn't worry me that I've never won it. Everyone thinks I have sleepless nights about it, but it would be great to have a runner, so let's enjoy the day and hope the horse is in great order.
"The horse who won this last year had a phenomenal turn of foot. This is a nice horse, don't get me wrong. He deserves to take his chance in the Guineas, but I guess it was a bit more black and white last year."
Dual Doncaster winner Avicenna beat fellow Godolphin-owned runner Hidden Force to the runner-up spot and his trainer Roger Varian also has Guineas ambitions, whether that be on home soil or in France.
Varian said: "I'm really pleased. It's a hard track to make up ground on when it rides quick and favours pace, especially when they don't go very quick. It was a little messy early and they didn't go overly quick and the winner is a good horse on his day.
"The winner had experience and probably had the run of the race, but I was keen our horse got further education here today. I said to Ray (Dawson, jockey) that the place to be might be in front but I don't think our horse is streetwise enough to go and lead them a merry dance.
"I said openly before the race this is a trial and there was no point coming here and then leaving your next three months behind. He's wintered well, trained well over the last few weeks and there will be some improvement in there and bar winning I couldn't be more pleased.
"For me he has run well enough here to consider Newmarket or ParisLongchamp. It's looking an open year across all the Guineas this year and he looks worthy of being in contention for one or the other.
"I'll see how he comes out of the race and speak with the owner and team Godolphin and hopefully work it out over the next 10 days or so."
Outsider Run To Freedom takes Abernant title
Veteran sprinter Run To Freedom proved he is no back number with a surprise victory in the Zyn Abernant Stakes at Newmarket.
While it is fast approaching three years since Henry Candy's charge last tasted success, he has spent some time on the sidelines during the intervening period and a third place finish in the July Cup last summer proved he retained plenty of ability.
The eight-year-old was well beaten in the Sprint Cup at Haydock and on Champions Day at Ascot on his next two starts, but dropping back down to Group Three level for his reappearance he showed his true colours, finishing off well in the hands of Rob Hornby to win a shade cosily by three-quarters of a length.
Aramram pipped Quinault to the runner-up spot, with Diligent Harry fourth and 11-4 favourite Time For Sandals not beaten far in fifth.
Candy, saddling his first runner of the year, said of his 28-1 winner: "I thought he'd run well, he's been working nicely. He's done a huge amount of work in the swimming pool and on the grass and I thought he'd run a good race.
"He got a little bit upset in the stalls as he always does, but he travelled absolutely beautifully through the race and when he hit the rising ground he really stretched. He does need an uphill finish - one of his autumn efforts last year was at Haydock and that's a very flat track and he never gets going.
"I don't want to be rude about it but it wasn't the greatest Abernant there's ever been and I thought he had a good chance really.
"He had a lovely long holiday and does a lot of work in the pool, so we try to save his legs as much as possible. Mercifully he's a bit sounder than me!"
Run To Freedom holds a handicap entry at next month's Guineas meeting, but having put his two below-par efforts at the end of last season behind him, he now looks likely to stick to Pattern company.
"He was a bit disappointing on his last couple of runs last year, he just tailed off a bit, but he's a gorgeous horse with huge ability and a fantastic pedigree. Unfortunately nobody has ever wanted him for stud, but he ought to get a job really," the trainer added.
"Having spent the winter telling Godfrey (Wilson, owner) I wasn't going to make any more Group One entries and we'd probably be going handicapping and running over seven furlongs. I suspect I shall be told now to revert to Plan A!
"The end of last year was disappointing and we had to start thinking of lowering our sights and doing things differently, but I think we're back on track again now."
Portcullis makes huge impression in the colours of the King and Queen
Portcullis carried the colours of the King and Queen to a spectacular debut success in the Betway Wood Ditton Maiden.
This one-mile contest for unraced three-year-olds has been won by many a smart horse over the years and looks to have unearthed another potential star in this son of Frankel, whose dam Castle Lady won the French 1000 Guineas in 2019.
Bred by the King, John and Thady Gosden's charge was slowly away and looked all at sea during the early stages but started to make inroads on the leaders from halfway and was in front well over a furlong out.
The further he went the more impressive Portcullis looked as he fairly sprinted clear late on to score by an emphatic five and a half length at odds of 7-1 in the hands of Ryan Moore.
John Gosden said: "He was a little lost leaving the gate, but he picked up and travelled well. Ryan said he found a nice rhythm and he left him alone so there we go - there goes the handicap mark!
"It's obviously pleasing to win like that and you don't know what the second and third are as they are all unraced horses, but it was a pleasing start and Ryan was very happy with him, albeit embarrassed by the winning margin."
Keen to temper expectations slightly, Gosden added: "What we do now is try to keep the feet on the ground and probably look for a novice to learn. Maybe we should just take a small step before we take a big step."
In stark contrast, the King and Queen's racing manager is daring to dream after he conceded he could not help but be excited
John Warren said: "He's really exciting and he looks like he has got some nice aspirations ahead.
"John liked him last year as a two-year-old but he had a little setback in November. It's nice to see him come out and show he has the talent John thought he had last year.
"Ryan was very complimentary and a throwaway line was 'I think you could be brave' which I think is indicative of the feel he got for the horse which is interesting given he is not a man who wastes his words.
"The way he ran out there, there is an indication he should get further. If you could paint a picture you would go again at a mile in a bit better company and see how quick he could use his legs and then learn again in proper company where he can stretch out at the end of it. There's a few steps to go yet.
"Being honest I'm really excited but I'm trying not to be as we've been in this position plenty of times and to be frank he's got to run again before we can understand what we really have.
"But the style in which he did that - being bred in the purple like that and a magnificent physical who is not even close to being there and furnished off yet - it makes you excited. He is only on the first rung of the ladder, but it's an exciting ladder but we're on it."
Adding further lustre to the Portcullis journey is that the colt was among the last mating plans pencilled in conjunction by the late Queen Elizabeth II before her death in 2022.
"I was with the Queen the weekend before she died and proposed the matings to her that weekend," explained Warren.
"The skeleton of the plan was hatched with the Queen before she died but then I took the mating plan to the King and Queen Camilla in the November to see if they liked the mating list. So I will call it a joint effort by all.
"I'm so thrilled for the King and Queen and they are getting so much pleasure out of their horses, I never thought they would get as much pleasure as they are.
"I always thought the Queen might, but thought the King might be caught up with other things but they are enjoying it so much and it's so nice as they give so much. To get a few nice pleasures is really nice and we look forward to the next step."
