John and Thady Gosden's filly back on the winning path.
Friendly Soul got her career firmly back on track at Ascot on Saturday when running out a decisive all-the-way winner of the Group 3 Valiant Stakes under stable jockey Kieran Shoemark.
Although an impressive winner on debut at Kempton last December, Friendly Soul was sent off a relatively unfancied 10/1 when upped in grade in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on her seasonal reappearance in May.
However, she proved more than equal to the task and stamped herself as a filly of immense promise when running out an authoritative winner. It was a performance that would see her go off odds-on for the Group 3 Musidora Stakes just ten days later, but George Strawbridge's homebred daughter of Kingman failed to beat a rival home in what was a head-scratching display.
With positive tactics enforced once more on her drop back to a mile, victory never looked in doubt for John and Thady Gosden's 10/3 chance this afternoon as she galloped on strongly to make all the running. Shoemark, who had controlled the tempo throughout off the front, kicked his mount into a clear advantage with a furlong to travel and although Tom Marquand set off in hot pursuit on William Haggas' Doom, Friendly Soul remained full of running, pulling away in the closing stages for a comfortable three-length success.
The Richard Spencer-trained Naomi Lapaglia (16/1) finished back in third.
"She won as a two-year-old and won very well in the Listed race (Pretty Polly, at Newmarket in May) over a mile and a quarter and we were thinking Prix de Diane," said John Gosden. "She was drawn nine at York and when you come out of stall nine over a mile and a quarter at York the stables are on your right. She saw that and cocked her jaw. She is a strong-willed lady, and she cocked her jaw the whole race, so that explains that.
"We did a lot of checking her out as well and couldn't find anything wrong and gave her lots of time off, as she is still an immature filly, and brought her back for this. She has done it in good style.
"The break has helped, and she is still relatively immature, she is the type of filly who will get better as the year goes on. Mr (George) Strawbridge bred her, and he knows the family well and she will be a lovely filly next year.
"That is a stiff mile, and it rises a lot and I think a mile and a quarter is her proper trip – I wouldn't want to go a mile and a half. We planned to run her in the Prix de Diane, but that race was in June so now we will have to come up with another Baldrick plan."
On his relationship with Kieran Shoemark, Gosden added: "It's been difficult for Kieran because a lot of our horses haven't been right. Our highest-rated three-year-olds are her and Spiritual so our three-year-olds are, I'm afraid, way below what our owners would have wanted.
Shoemark said: "John has been brilliant and offers me plenty of support. We've got a lot of nice horses and it's very exciting going forward. John and Thady continue to have my back, as do all the owners, so it's a pleasure and a privilege to ride for the team at Clarehaven and I look forward to what lies ahead.
"I think she is a progressive filly, and I am glad to see her back to winning ways after her flop in the Musidora. We can put that behind us now and she hopefully has a bright future."
