Zanzoun took a big step forward on her first run at three as she landed the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on Tuesday.
John & Thady Gosden's daughter of Dubawi had plenty to find on the bare form of her two-year-old campaign where she was beaten twice in novice company before landing a Southwell maiden on the all-weather in November.
However, she ran on strongly under Kieran Shoemark down the centre of the track to take this 1000 Guineas trial in the colours of owners Juddmonte at odds of 9/1.
The 15/8 favourite Verse Of Love was keen throughout and made no impression with Ollie Sangster's Celestial Orbit giving the winner most to do beaten a length and three quarters in second.
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John Gosden said: “We will see what they want to do, but it is very nice winning a Group Three and getting that under her belt.
“I just wouldn’t want it rattling firm, but she will have no problems with better ground. She handled the ground today and she is a nice filly.
“She has not been over raced and she has been training well this spring.
“He is a very talented young rider and he has done very well throughout his career.
“He has ridden this filly very well and he is a very talented rider so we are happy to have him with us.
“It could well be the case (that the French 1000 Guineas) is the better option. I will talk to the family and see what they want to do.
“There is a very good Aga Khan filly (Zarigana) which we saw win the Prix de la Grotte, but we have some nice plans to make.”
Shoemark said: “I think she enjoyed the ground a lot as she travelled well. She was still quite fresh early, but she is talented. She is not over big, but she has trained on.
“One thing she does is travel and I was lucky to be able to hit the front while still on the bridle. I was just trying to nurse her home as I felt she had a bit left.
“She handled the track here fine, but in France you might get a chance of getting ease in the ground, however you wouldn’t be running her on firm ground.
“The fact she is not in the English 1000 Guineas makes it easy for me to stand her and say let’s go to France, but I’m sure she will have plenty of options.”
'She will have no problem getting a mile'
Sangster said of runner-up Celestial Orbit: “Jamie (Spencer) in his trademark fashion took his time, but she quickened into it very well. He felt they didn’t go very fast and felt she quickened of a quickening pace, which is always very nice.
“She is by No Nay Never and they have plenty of boot, but there is a bit of stoutness from her half-brother. If someone had offered me second beforehand I would have taken it.
“She will have no problem getting the mile, but I think the key for her will be ease in the ground so that will dictate our next move quite strongly.
“She is going to take a good step forward from that having had eight or nine months off the track. I felt I left plenty of meat on the bones to work with for the rest of the year.
“She is in the English and French 1000 Guineas and that is quite possibly an option as well.”
Analysis: Runner-up the one to follow
Two horses this century have done the Nell Gwyn – 1000 Guineas double; Speciosa in 2006 and Cachet in 2022, while a further two were beaten in the trial before prevailing in the Classic; Sky Lantern in 2013 and Billesdon Brook in 2018.
The starting prices of that quartet in chronological order in the Guineas were 10/1, 9/1, 66/1 and 16/1, so this is a race to inspect closely with the Classic in mind.
Having said that it certainly sounds at this stage as if John Gosden is leaning towards running the winner, ZANZOUN, in the French 1000 Guineas where he will be hoping that Longchamp turns up soft.
Conditions were certainly in Zanzoun’s favour in the Nell Gwyn, overnight rain turning the ground from Good to Firm to Good to Soft officially, but the times suggested it was slower than that and that was to the benefit of this daughter of Dubawi.
Off an even gallop she settled nicely and you couldn’t say that about some of her rivals, most notably the favourite Verse Of Love who was keen going to post and in the race itself.
With the Godolphin filly and market rival Nardra disappointing towards the far side this perhaps didn’t take an awful lot of winning, Zanzoun’s professionalism and stamina reserves helping her to see out the seven furlongs strongly.
On pedigree she should get a mile no problem and indeed could go out in trip further, her dam a winner over a mile and a quarter, while the fact she has no fancy entries, in this country at least, suggests this win came as a bit of a surprise.
Arguably, the one to take out of the race is the runner-up Celestial Orbit.
Ollie Sangster’s filly was awkward out of the stalls and held up in the rear on the far side by Jamie Spencer, but as Nardra and Verse Of Love toiled on that part of the track this daughter of No Nay Never made a striking forward move.
Pulled out to challenge on the outside of Nardra against the far rail, she conceded first run to Zanzoun but stayed on well for second and very much shaped as though she would come on for the experience this being her first run since last July.
Her pedigree suggests she might improve for a mile and she is in the English 1000 Guineas, though France was mentioned for her as well.
Sangster hinted she will go where there is cut in the ground and if that’s Newmarket on the first weekend in May she’s not one to strike a line through at likely big odds (she’s 50/1 in several places in the antepost betting). (Ben Linfoot)
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