'She's got a bright future' - Kieran Shoemark excels with well-timed ride on Friendly Soul

Kieran Shoemark earned the plaudits after timing things to perfection from the front to guide Friendly Soul to a decisive victory in the Group 3 Valiant Stakes.

Shoemark's first season as stable jockey to John and Thady Gosden has been slow to ignite but he remains positive about the future at Clarehaven, with Friendly Soul among the Newmarket stable's leading lights.

"John offers me plenty of support and we've got lots of nice horses," said Shoemark. "It's very exciting and John and Thady continue to have my back, as do all the owners. It's an absolute pleasure and privilege to be a part of the whole team at Clarehaven and I'm very much looking forward to what lies ahead. 

"Friendly Soul is a progressive filly and I'm glad she's back to winning ways after her flop in the Musidora. I think she's got a bright future."    

Having disappointed when last seen in action at York in May, the winner looked a different proposition forcing the pace over Ascot's stiff mile. 

"She was drawn nine in the Musidora and came out of the gates with the racecourse stables on her right and cocked her jaw," said John Gosden. 

"We gave her time afterwards, brought her back for this and she's done it in good style. She's the type of filly to get better as the year goes on and I think she's going to be a lovely filly next year."

On the stable's partnership with Shoemark, Gosden added: "It's been difficult for Kieran because a lot of horses haven't been right. Our highest rated three-year-old is her, so I'm afraid our three-year-olds are way below what our owners and we wanted.

"A lot of the older horses didn't click, so to that extent it hasn't been easy for Kieran because the horses haven't been firing, but we've still got the rest of the year to come." 

Sangster strikes again

Ollie Sangster made it two black-type successes from his last two juvenile runners as Simmering broke her maiden in the Princess Margaret Stakes.

The Manton trainer won the Star Stakes with Celestial Orbit at Sandown on Thursday and struck again when Ryan Moore galvanised the Albany runner-up to a neck success over Betty Clover. 

"They both showed up together back in the spring," Sangster said. "They've done a lot of their work together so when the filly won well at Sandown on Thursday, it gave me a bit of extra confidence. They're different types of fillies but it's nice to have them in the yard.

Simmering (silver, maroon cap): comes out on top in an exciting finish to the Princess Margaret StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

"There were a few anxious moments when she was short of room a couple of furlongs out, but she's won it nicely in the end. Ryan said she was still a bit green coming through horses and thinks she'll improve again. He advised us to go up to seven furlongs next time."

Paddy Power reacted by cutting Simmering to 20-1 (from 25) for next year's 1,000 Guineas.

Express steams home

Northern Express is a fixture in all of the big handicap cavalry charges and the six-year-old finally enjoyed his biggest day in the International Stakes.

Two runner-up efforts at York were sandwiched between another respectable performance when fifth in the Buckingham Palace Stakes over this course and distance at Royal Ascot, and this time the Michael Dods-trained track regular denied all comers to take the £150,000 prize by a neck from New Image.

Winning rider Paul Mulrennan said: "He’s been a real good servant to everyone. Michael and I discussed last week that he was probably getting a little bit cute in his old age, so we just popped the cheekpieces on today.

"He’s run fourth in this race the last two years but it’s typical of Michael, he’s great with these sort of horses to keep them going year after year. It’s massive to come down here and win."

Breeders' Cup target

Rosallion took the Pat Eddery Stakes last year and connections will be hoping Al Qudra can develop into a similarly talented type.

The Coventry fifth was an authoritative winner under William Buick and Charlie Appleby already has his eye on the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November.

"I think he might make up into a Breeders' Cup horse," the trainer said. "Take nothing away from what we've beaten, but he's just a good, solid horse. Experience counts over there and he has plenty of that."

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