Roaring Lion: the dazzling champion with the courage to match his speed

The Craven Stakes always crackles with anticipation and excitement as Flat racing’s leading stables begin to show the strength of their three-year-old ammunition for the Classic campaign. In April 2018 it was no different, with champion trainer John Gosden having Newmarket’s talking horse Roaring Lion ready for action.

The son of Kitten’s Joy was an odds-on shot, not just because of the regard in which he was held by Gosden and members of the Qatar Racing team, but because he had Group 1 form in the book.

He had won three of his four starts as a juvenile and the racing world was eager to know what was coming next after a freakish performance in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy. In a matter of strides he had ripped through a high-quality field of juveniles and eased to the front, although his charge proved to have come a fraction too soon as Saxon Warrior snatched Group 1 glory on the line.

It was a frustrating end to a near-perfect season, but David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing, had no complaints. Impressed by Roaring Lion’s athleticism as a yearling, the owner of Tweenhills Stud had purchased him at Keeneland for $160,000 and always had a soft spot for him.

“Roaring Lion had always looked like an exciting prospect,” he says. “He was an uncomplicated athlete with a good pedigree and a great action.

“It was only June or July [of his juvenile season] when we got positive vibes from Mr Gosden. On the day he ran in his maiden, the same that Frankel won, we had the Gloucester rugby team at Tweenhills and I dragged them through to watch the race in the office. The players went on to follow him throughout his career.

“His performance in the Racing Post Trophy was pretty staggering. The amount of acceleration he showed was incredible. It was a shame he got beaten but at that point we knew we had a future champion.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy had also been impressed and was relishing his three-year-old campaign.

“Harry Bentley rode him on his debut but I’d watched that run and liked what I saw,” Murphy says. “He was a powerful horse with a big action and covered loads of ground. He hit the line very well too.

“I rode him from there on and he went from strength to strength. I remember thinking ‘this horse is pretty different’ when I couldn’t pull him up at Kempton. He developed an incredible turn of foot and the first time we got a glimpse of it was at Doncaster. He shot clear but was a bit raw and green. I possibly hit the button too early, but I learned from that mistake.”

Roaring Lion: lit up the 2018 season with four consecutive Group 1 winsCredit: Edward Whitaker

With all eyes on the Craven, a lacklustre Roaring Lion looked out of his depth. He failed to show that same spine-tingling spark, finishing almost ten lengths behind Masar in third and leaving many feeling the dream was over. But belief was still strong for his master trainer and Redvers, his biggest admirer, and they were right.

“I remember John Gosden saying to me before the Craven ‘I have a nasty feeling we’ll wonder for the rest of the season how we managed to get beat, he’s going to need this badly’,” says Redvers.

“When he ran in the Craven that day I remember seeing Masar, who had just come back from Dubai. He was toned and looked right, while our fella looked like there was a lot more improvement to come.”

It was a steady rise back to reaching the same level of brilliance he had shown at Doncaster. Roaring Lion put in a much better performance in the 2,000 Guineas, staying on strongly to finish fifth, and a step up in trip looked the obvious next step.

The Dante at York beckoned and the real Roaring Lion was back. Travelling with class and ease, he showed that blistering turn of foot to burst away from his rivals and set up a tilt at the Derby. A mile and a half was not going to be ideal but after such a mesmerising display, connections knew they had to give it a shot.

Roaring Lion (Oisin Murphy) wins the Dante at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

Roaring Lion travelled into the Derby dangerously, stalking the leaders on the outside. When asked the question by Murphy, he found plenty but the stiff test was just beyond him as Craven conqueror Masar stayed on best to land the spoils. The Roaring Lion team were still thrilled with his third-placed effort and were certain his big day would come over a mile and a quarter.

“We realised after the Guineas he was a top-class horse,” says Murphy. “In the Derby he travelled better than Masar and I thought I was going to win. He just petered out late on. He didn’t stay.”

Redvers adds: “We had to go to the Derby but none of us truly believed he would stay, we just hoped his class would prevail. From then on we were very excited about him. I suppose the only thing that worries you is how much of a mark running in the Derby can leave on a horse. But he was tough constitutionally and mentally and it was a dream ride from there.”

In the Eclipse at Sandown back over a mile and a quarter, Roaring Lion turned a corner from his babyish days. With conditions in his favour, he faced Saxon Warrior again for a powerhouse duel. A confident Murphy raced in behind and Qatar Racing’s colt showed his electric acceleration to pounce on his Irish foe and win in determined fashion by a neck.

Redvers says: “All you dream about in this game – as a professional or amateur – is to have a champion and at Sandown we knew we had one. We’d had a champion stayer and champion mares but you want to have the best of the best, which he was.”

From there Roaring Lion went on to stamp his dominance on the division. He returned to York for the International Stakes – over the Dante course and distance – and took apart a field of top-class prospects in dazzling style. Saxon Warrior was beaten again in fourth but soon there was another rematch for Roaring Lion, this time on away soil.

Roaring Lion (Oisin Murphy) races clear to win the Juddmonte International by three and a quarter lengthsCredit: Edward Whitaker

The score was 3-2 to Roaring Lion as he tackled the Irish Champion Stakes in front of a packed Leopardstown. Ryan Moore and Saxon Warrior made the first dash in the straight and quickened to a sizeable lead, with Murphy and Roaring Lion again forced into top gear. The lead dwindled as two world-class racehorses battled it out in full flight and it was a tenacious Roaring Lion who dipped his head in front to win by a neck in a race for the ages.

Redvers reflects: “The Juddmonte was brilliant to watch but overcoming tactics to win the Irish Champion Stakes was very special. He had great determination and acceleration. I remember him before the race, it was almost as if he knew why he was there and what he was going to prove. My God, he did it as well.

“For a ten-furlong horse he had the turn of foot of a miler. He had an incredible will to win and showed that in the Irish Champion Stakes. That was some thrill to watch."

Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani and rider Oisin Murphy celebrate after Roaring Lion's victory in the 2018 Qipco Irish Champion StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Murphy adds: “What he did at York was electric and I’ll never forget that day. He had to do it the hard way in Ireland, he rattled down the outside to take down Saxon Warrior late on. It was a truly brilliant performance and, in front of my home crowd, it was extra special.”

Murphy’s highlight came next, as Roaring Lion overcame testing ground and a drop in trip to complete an outstanding campaign in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the dazzling Qatar-sponsored British Champions Day.

The jockey says: “Sheikh Fahad and his brothers sponsor Qipco British Champions Day, so they wanted to run in the QEII. We thought it was worth taking a chance. I nursed him into the race and, although he hated the conditions, he showed his tenacity to get up on the line. To get the trophy from Her Majesty the Queen is a moment I’ll never forget.”

Roaring Lion did not fire on his final start at the Breeders’ Cup, but he had enjoyed a champion's season and was named Cartier Horse of the Year for 2018. His next chapter would come in the breeding barn.

He was a big, top-quality athlete, had exceptional form at two and three and was a beautiful colour too – he had star potential as a stallion.

And he had a fine first season in the stallion ranks, but in August 2019 tragedy struck when he died while standing in New Zealand. He had developed problems with colic and had surgery twice but another bout proved too much for the champion.

“It was a hammer blow,” says Redvers. “It took a while to get over it. He was very much part of the family at Tweenhills and the yard. I walked him every morning myself and we were all immensely proud of him.

“But we did get one good season out of him and he was sensational as a stallion. He produced the most extraordinary crop of foals. You can see Roaring Lion in quite a lot of them, his characteristics, his colour and his face. It’s truly exciting to see them run in the years to come.”

Roaring Lion at Tweenhills Stud in late 2018Credit: Edward Whitaker

Murphy says: “He was a terrific servant and we had a great relationship. I’ll never forget on the way to post how he’d have his ears pricked, he’d never pull and was just a complete gentleman. He never took a lame step and he had a huge heart and a massive action. The galloping motion was effortless for him, that’s what made him so good. He was a beautiful horse too. I have nothing but admiration for him. It’s a shame he’s not around but we shared some great moments."

Murphy, who praised Roaring Lion for his development as a jockey, adds: “I rode him when I was 22 or 23 and not many young riders get the opportunity to ride a world champion three-year-old. It was unbelievable for me.”

Very few Flat horses manage to win four top-level races in one season and it is even rarer to find a horse who can do it while making a special connection with the racing public. Roaring Lion was not just special, he was adored.

“He was such a popular horse,” adds Redvers. “When we paraded him at Newmarket I met a gentleman who’d taken two trains and a taxi just to come and see him. We had a number of cards and letters when he was racing and retired. He really touched the public massively and caught their imagination.

“Roaring Lion was cheeky and had loads of character. He was kind and friendly and my young children would go on him in the stable. He could always strike a pose wherever he went and he was just full of character. It was crushing for all of us for a while when we lost him but he’ll always be massive for Qatar Racing and Tweenhills.”

In a sport defined by daring to dream big, Roaring Lion far surpassed any level of expectation from his adoring connections. The 2018 champion left behind many incredible memories and some exciting cubs who will be ready to roar in 2022.

More Fans' Favourites:

Sea The Stars: a horse of a lifetime who enjoyed the most perfect of seasons

Battaash: the speed machine who is the pride and joy of trainer and groom

Overturn: from Plates to Cups to Champion Hurdles; a true warrior on all fronts

The Tin Man: the veteran who has taken his owners on the yellow brick road

Limato: quirky but delightful character whose fire is still burning strong

Red Rum: an Aintree icon who won hearts of a nation

Native River: the big friendly giant with a heart of a lion and an eye for the limelight

Paisley Park: what makes Emma Lavelle's star stayer such a hit with the public

Lady Buttons: the queen of Yorkshire who has captured the hearts of a nation

Fans Favourites' is a new feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they pluck on our heartstrings. Out every Wednesday