RAB HAVLIN channelled his inner Ronnie Biggs as he stole the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes in broad daylight.
The veteran jockey pinched an early lead aboard 22-1 shot Audience and never saw another rival as he made off with £225,000 worth of loot.
The five-year-old was only in the race to act as a pacemaker for fellow Cheveley Park-owned runner Inspiral, but the 2-1 favourite never stood a chance having been held-up well off the pace under Kieran Shoemark.
Audience, meanwhile, kept on rolling and powered home nearly two lengths clear of Charyn, who was the only horse to get anywhere near him from out of the chasing pack.
Fair to say the Gosden camp were stunned by the result, and when greeting the Cheveley Park team co-trainer Thady raised his eyebrows and said: “Whoops!”
Of course, it has happened plenty of times before, a front-runner being given too much rope by his rivals. But rarely in such a big race.
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Havlin said: “I thought two furlongs out there must have been a false start, because there was no-one else near me!
“This horse was a bit of a thug earlier in his career, he was wild and quite a tricky ride, but I’ve gotten to know him and he has a lot of ability when he puts it all together.
“We have always thought he was capable of winning a big race like this, though that performance was still a bit of a surprise.
“I didn’t think he would be good enough to beat Inspiral, on form and what they show at home, but obviously I’m over the moon.”
But the pressure continues to build on Shoemark, who is still waiting for his breakthrough win since succeeding Frankie Dettori as Gosden’s No1.
And with Royal Ascot just a month away, Shoemark is running out of opportunities to cement the partnership before the Dettori roadshow returns to Britain – even if he is just at Ascot to socialise.
But Gosden put Inspiral’s comeback defeat down to a lack of match-fitness on her first run since her brilliant Breeders’ Cup win under Dettori in November.
He said: “The trainer is useless, I couldn’t get her fit at home. Kieran said she just blew up about a furlong out.
“She will improve for the run and we will probably go to the Queen Anne next with both horses.”
Roger Varian was chuffed to bits with the performance of the runner-up Charyn, who will also head to the Queen Anne next month.
He said: “I thought for a stride or two we might catch the leader, but he has done well to make up so much ground.
“You’d say on that evidence he is a Group 1 winner in waiting. I think the stiff mile at Ascot will really suit him, so that’s where we will go next.”
