St Leger second Arrest given Newbury target

St Leger runner-up Arrest could return in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury in late April.

ARREST. Picture: Healy Racing.

After a six-and-a-half length success on three-year-old debut in the Group 3 Chester Vase, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Arrest started favourite for the Epsom Derby on good-to-firm ground and struggled in the closing stages, weakening from the two furlong marker to finish tenth behind Auguste Rodin.

Another poor performance at Royal Ascot followed, but the son of Frankel returned to winning ways in Newbury's Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes on good-to-soft going before ending the season with a second in the St Leger.

"He was consistent all year apart from the Derby, which I think was our own fault," said Barry Mahon, Juddmonte's European racing manager.

"John, Thady and myself got wrapped up a little bit in it being the Derby and we probably shouldn't have run as the ground was a bit quick and the track obviously didn't suit.

"He showed his true form on his next couple of starts and has wintered very well. John and Thady were very happy with him when speaking to them last week and the current plan, all being well, is to start in the John Porter.

"I think we will start off at middle distances and see how we go and if he shows us in the middle of the summer he wants a bit further, then we will try it. But I think he has shown enough class at a mile and a half to suggest he can be competitive in those top mile-and-a-half races throughout the year."


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