Forever Now

The two John Gosden horses, Forever Now and Romsdal, were the two horses to take out of this year's St Leger for me. Settled in second place behind leader Granddukeoftuscany by Frankie Dettori, Forever Now travelled well into the home straight, and moved up on the outside of the leader at the three-furlong pole. Hartnell joined him in the front rank at that point, and appeared to be travelling better, but Mark Johnston's horse quickly came under pressure as Forever Now fought him off. John Gosden's horse could not withstand the finishing surge of his stable companion Romsdal on his outside, however, and Kingston Hill and Snow Sky also came past, but he did stick on well for sixth place, just five lengths behind the winner.

Two main elements make Forever Now's effort here impressive. Firstly, it was the highest-class race that he had contested by some way, and he proved that he belonged in this grade. Secondly, he raced in second place behind a fast pace in a race that was run to suit the hold-up horses. The early leader faded to finish second last, while four of the first six horses home were held up.

The Galileo colt has been quietly progressive all season. He was only third behind Hartnell and Windshear in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket's July meeting, but that was his first run in Group company four weeks after winning his maiden, and he stepped forward markedly on that to win the Listed March Stakes at Goodwood in August, when he got the better of fellow St Leger contenders Alex My Boy and Kings Fete.

He has stepped forward with just about every single one of his six runs to date, each of his runs has just about been a career-best up to that point, and there is every reason to expect that he can go forward again now. By Galileo out of a Darshaan mare, and a full-brother to Shantaram, who was also trained by Gosden and who won the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy (the race in which Forever Now was third) over a mile and five furlongs, stamina is undoubtedly his forte. He was staying on again at the end of the one-mile-six-and-a-half-furlong trip on Saturday, and he could progress again for another step up in trip.

He will be interesting if he steps up again in trip now before the end of the season. He could be an interesting outsider in the British Champions Long Distance Cup or in the Prix Royal-Oak, and he could be an even better four-year-old than three-year-old. He could be a Cup horse for next year.

13th September 2014

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