A strong racecourse performance ahead of Ghostwriter's Qipco 2000 Guineas bid has encouraged Clive Cox, who is optimistic that his smart Newmarket form will pay off in the season's first Classic.
The two-year-old son of Invincible Spirit went undefeated and concluded 2023 with a dramatic victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes on the Rowley Mile.
Cox was content to forgo an early-season trial in favour of a pipe-opener at Kempton after the colt gained experience. Ghostwriter, a general 14-1 shot who defeated Aidan O'Brien's dominating favourite City of Troy on May 4, is said to have thrived over the winter.
“I’m very happy with Ghostwriter and he has his Newmarket course form,” explained Cox. “I’m very pleased he has done exceptionally well over the winter and we will be going there with a racecourse gallop under his belt. He’s done very well and that is why he hasn’t run in a trial. He’s been to Kempton and he’s a very athletic, clean-winded horse who has done well over the winter and we think that will have benefitted him far more than racing on testing ground, with his previous experience at Newmarket hopefully holding him in good stead.”
The Kennet Valley-owned Dragon Leader, another outstanding juvenile for the Beechdown Stables team last season, only lost once in five starts as he proved to be a true moneymaker for connections.
“He was a very productive runner last year earning over £300,000 in prize-money,” continued Cox. “I’m pleased to say he’s wintered well, but he’s definitely better with a dry surface and we wouldn’t be making any concrete plans at the minute. When the ground gets a little bit quicker you will see him. Last year he was looking like seven furlongs would help him and I would be very hopeful he will get a mile. We kept him at six last year simply because he was so well-qualified for those races. Six and a half was no problem for him at Doncaster though in the Weatherbys race.”