5 days ago
Godolphin pay £85,000 to add shock ‘proven performer' into Juddmonte – but there's a catch
GODOLPHIN have paid a whopping £85,000 to add a shock 'proven performer' into the Juddmonte - but there's a catch.
The Andre Fabre-trained dual Listed winner Birr Castle is a surprise addition to the star-studded field.
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But he will be given absolutely zero orders to win the £1.25million Group 1.
And instead be used solely as a pacemaker for the John & Thady Gosden-trained Ombudsman.
The Clarehaven team are busy readying their stable star for his big rematch with Aidan O'Brien's Delacroix in Wednesday's blockbuster.
And they want to ensure he gets a good gallop after being chinned late on by the Irish raider in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Birr Castle, a five-year-old gelding who was beaten just a length by Ace Impact in 2023 before he went onto win the Arc de Triomphe, will be used to set the early fractions.
The last thing the Gosdens want is a dawdling pace which could play into Delacroix's rapid finishing kick.
Master trainer Gosden - who was seen in a tense conversation with jockey William Buick after the Eclipse - told the Racing Post: "The Eclipse was a muddling race and we didn't want the prospect of a repeat.
"Godolphin have kindly provided us with a nice horse to use as a pacemaker and he arrives sometime today.
"It's no good putting something like a 75-rated horse in there as they can't do the job and hopefully Ombudsman can get a nice pace to aim at next week.
"This is just a one off, the plan is for Birr Castle to return to Andre after the race."
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