Epictetus revives memories of Kingman as sire's offspring stuns odds-on Nostrum under Frankie Dettori

It was not lost on connections of Thoroughbred Stakes winner Epictetus that he is a son of Kingman, who produced a performance to savour when winning the Sussex Stakes at this meeting in 2014.

Kingman represented John Gosden and raced in the silks of Juddmonte, who might have anticipated victory in this Group 3 for their odds-on favourite Nostrum, who went off at odds of 4-6 but was denied a length by the 6-1 winner.

Those odds might seem generous when one considers the regard in which Epictetus is held by his powerful team, who employed Frankie Dettori for the ride.

Not wasting an opportunity to execute what might be one of his final flying dismounts at Goodwood, Dettori insisted the drop to a mile had helped his capable three-year-old secure victory in a race that set the brilliant Baaeed on his way to stardom two years ago.

Frankie Dettori celebrates with EpictetusCredit: Mark Cranham

It also allowed Gosden's son Thady, who is now on the licence, a trip down memory lane to remember the electric miler Kingman, who has now established himself as a fine sire.

He stopped short of saying he had posters of Kingman on his bedroom wall as a youngster, but was willing to hail a previous Clarehaven ace, whose progeny can cope with testing conditions, even if he is also the sire of Nostrum, who was said to have been derailed by the ground.

"Epictetus ran a really good race when he was second to the future Derby winner [Auguste Rodin] in the old Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on heavy ground last year," said Thady Gosden.

"He's a horse who rolls his knee a bit and he's bred to like a bit of give in the ground, although it's slightly less tacky and holding today; it's more just good to soft."

Reminded of Kingman's Sussex stroll, Gosden added: "That was a brilliant race, but it was good to firm that day. Kingman was a brilliant horse who has turned into a fantastic sire and it was wonderful to have him at the yard. He was a lovely character, too, who had this raw speed that very few horses have, yet at the same time he was the most laidback character you could find, which is a pretty exceptional combination."

A touch of that stardust has clearly rubbed off on Epictetus, who runs in the familiar white and green silks of his breeder George Strawbridge, but a firm no was how Gosden responded when asked if he thought his runner would overcome Nostrum, whose connections were hardly on the floor.

Sir Michael Stoute's assistant James Savage, perhaps well aware Nostrum, like Epictetus, has the pedigree to come good, said: "I'm sure he's a very good horse this year, but he'll be an even better one next year."

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