With
20 winners on the board, five of them stakes-winners, young Coolmore shuttler
Zoffany (IRE) has made a huge impact in Europe this year with his first runners
who include unbeaten colt Foundation, winner of the Group II Royal Lodge Stakes
at Newmarket overnight.
Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, he made it three wins in
as many starts when powering clear to win the one mile contest by three parts
of a length.
A 190,000 euro purchase from the Goffs Yearling Sale last year for renowned
bloodstock agent John Warren, Foundation runs for Highclere Thoroughbreds and will
start next in the Group I Racing Post trophy.
"Foundation is a grand horse who has done nothing wrong," said John Gosden.
"He´s still learning and Frankie said he gave him as much education as he could
because he didn´t learn a lot at Haydock a couple of times.
"He´s come between horses and handled the Dip well, which is not easy for a big
gangly two-year-old. After he hit the front fully a furlong and a half out I
think he was doing quite a bit of looking about."
Foundation is the best of five winners from stakes-placed Roystonea.
Zoffany nearly made it a feature double when his previously unbeaten daughter
Illuminate finished second in the Group I Cheveley Park Stakes beaten half a
length.
A Group I winning son of Dansili, Zoffany has been super popular in Australia this
spring at Coolmore as you would expect and has his first Australian runners
this season.