Kingman has claimed a spectacular victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas after trainer John Gosden came close to scratching the colt because of heavy rain at The Curragh.
Luckily for his army of followers, Kingman was allowed to seize the opportunity with a performance which bristled with authority and class.
Kingman (4-5 fav) moved smoothly into contention from his early position midfield and the response was immediate when James Doyle pressed the button a furlong (200m) out.
Sent off the 4-5 favourite, the son of Invincible Spirit powered through the mud to record a five-length verdict over Shifting Power.
Gosden said he walked the track and it was touch and go whether Kingman would run.
“I walked the whole track and it was very debatable. The groundsman has done a fantastic job,” Gosden said.
“If they’d had a big handicap over that ground first I probably wouldn’t have run. They stayed just off the rail where they had raced in the sprint. It’s good track management and important when trying to run a Classic.
“He’s won on good to firm, good to soft and now soft to heavy, so he’s covered all dimensions.”
“He’s a very talented horse and it’s lovely to win a Guineas with him.
Gosden said the St James’s Palace at next month’s Royal Ascot meeting would be Kingman’s next run.
