Trainer Clive Cox and owner Jason Goddard muscled their way past Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners and into the spotlight thanks to the victory by Orthodox in the Middle Park Stakes (G1) Sept. 26 at Newmarket Racecourse.
The Ballydoyle team were threatening a clean sweep of the group races on Cambridgeshire day after the success of Haffner (Justify ) in the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) and the victory by Sun Goddess in the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1).
However, Cox and Goddard have previous where the Middle Park is concerned and watched Orthodox fend off Amo Racing's Force Noir to emulate Supremacy, who landed the race for trainer and owner in 2020.
"I was more nervous this time around," said Goddard, who is local to Cox's yard in Lambourn. "It was easier with Supremacy because we weren't sure how he was going to do, but we've got high expectations of this horse and had a feeling we should be there or thereabouts."
An explosive winner of the Norfolk Stakes (G2) during the Royal Ascot meet in June, Orthodox surrendered his unbeaten record when beating just one rival home in the Prix Morny (G1), but neither Goddard nor Cox lost faith in the son of Havana Grey.
"It was totally the (soft) ground in France," Goddard said. "If we hadn't all traveled and gone that far, we probably wouldn't have run. He just doesn't like soft ground."
Orthodox earned a guaranteed spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) Oct. 30 at Keeneland when winning at Ascot through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, but Goddard was keen to let the dust settle before cementing plans and already has one eye on the big sprints in Britain next season.
"We'll sit on it for a few days," he said. "I'm looking for a horse who can win the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot and the July Cup, so we'll have to wait and see."
It was a third win in the race for Cox, whose first group 1 triumph in Britain came with Reckless Abandon in the 2012 Middle Park, and he compared Orthodox favorably with his past winners.
"He's a proper horse with a lot of talent," Cox said. "I think he was a bit shocked with the dip today, we haven't practiced that or anything but, as soon as he hit the rising ground, I thought he was very good.
"The ride Rossa Ryan gave him was supreme. He kept him well balanced despite not relishing running downhill. He's a very talented sprinter and a thrill to have. He's pretty special in the mornings and pretty special in the afternoon as well. I'm thrilled for Jason, his family, and the team at home who are a huge part of the whole job."
He added: "The Breeders' Cup has been talked about, but I really don't know. I've never taken a horse there before, but I'd be disappointed if he wasn't quick enough for it. I think we'll see how he is and discuss it with Jason in a day or two. It's exciting and a real privilege to be thinking of those sorts of races."
Video
