'He's always had the talent' - Audience back to winning ways with dominant display in Lennox

Robert Havlin tried to tell everybody that Audience's surprise Lockinge success was not a fluke and the veteran jockey was provided with yet more compelling evidence when the versatile five-year-old stretched away from two high-quality sprinters in the Lennox Stakes.

Audience, kept in training as a lead horse for multiple Group 1 winner Inspiral, was sent off at 22-1 before making all and beating his stablemate on his first try at the highest level in May, but failed to back up that performance when finishing fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes last month.

Following that performance, he had questions to answer, carrying a 5lb penalty and dropping back to seven furlongs after failing to fire in the Lennox last season, but his regular partner, and seemingly biggest fan, was given little cause for concern as the pair powered four lengths clear.

"I told everybody it was no fluke after the Lockinge and they laughed," said Havlin. "He's always had a lot of ability, and when I sat on him on Saturday without the hood on he absolutely flew. We thought this was the right time to try him without it and it really sharpened him up. I let him go at the three-furlong marker – he was fast."

When Audience won the Lockinge, he dominated from the front, but this time Havlin positioned him behind the leader Art Power, with a clear advantage over the rest of the field, before he sprinted clear in the closing stages, with two-time winner Kinross finishing well to claim third.

"He's always had the talent and Rab knows him well," said joint-trainer John Gosden. "He was kept in training as a lead horse to Inspiral, as he was in the Lockinge. He's improving with age, so there's hope for us all yet, and he's matured a lot mentally."

Audience: will likely head to the City of York Stakes next monthCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Audience was cut to 7-2 favourite (from 12-1) for next month's Group 2 City of York Stakes, in which he finished second to Kinross last year.

"We'll go to York without a penalty, which will help," said Gosden. "We've also put him in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October – last year’s good to firm ground would be perfect, but he wouldn’t want traditional Parisian autumn ground."

The Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar in November was also raised as a potential target, and the trainer added: "Travelling would be no problem and he's got the speed for it."

Art Power, who narrowly won the British Champions Sprint last season, will have his campaign geared towards a return to Ascot.

"He’s just a wonderful horse," said his trainer Tim Easterby. "He's only a pony really, about 15.2 hands, but he's just been so good. He tries like hell and he runs his heart out.

"He's got an unbelievable temperament. We thought he'd run well because he wanted a fast seven, he ran well at York over seven furlongs too. If it had been softer it would have been better, but he goes on any ground. We'll want to be going to the big race in October again, that's the plan."

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