Oxagon made all the running to win the Betway Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday, giving John and Thady Gosden a Group 3 success and sending bookmakers back to their Classic sheets.
The 7-4 favourite, ridden by Oisin Murphy, forged clear over a furlong out and won by two lengths from Avicenna, with Hidden Force in third. Two of the first three home are Godolphin-owned, underlining the strength of their classic generation this spring.
The win was controlled from the front. Oxagon led throughout, never looking in serious danger once he stretched clear in the final stages. Murphy had plenty in hand at the line.
The Classic Picture
Bookmakers moved quickly. Oxagon, who had been a 50-1 chance for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket before Thursday, was cut to 25-1 after the race. That is a significant market move for a horse winning a Group 3 on the Rowley Mile in April.
The Craven Stakes is run over the same course and distance as the 2000 Guineas, and Gosden’s yard knows this track better than most. The form of the race will take time to assess, but the manner of the win was eye-catching. Oxagon did not just beat Avicenna. He beat him doing it his own way.
Avicenna finished second at 11/2 for Roger Varian, another Godolphin runner. The Varian yard is a strong operation and finishing second to Oxagon in this fashion is not a disgrace.
The Gosden Form
John and Thady Gosden are among the most formidable training partnerships in British flat racing. Winning Group races at Newmarket in April means something when this family is involved. They understand the Rowley Mile, they understand how to peak a horse for big days, and Oxagon’s performance here has all the hallmarks of a horse pointing towards something bigger.
Murphy, as Gosden’s retained jockey, will have felt comfortable throughout. The pair work well together and this looked like a confident, planned front-running display rather than a tactical accident.
What Next
The 2000 Guineas at Newmarket comes later in the spring. Oxagon’s current odds of 25-1 reflect the large step up in class required, but the Classic is run on this course, over this distance. He has won at Group 3 level in the manner of a horse who could progress.
Whether he lines up is a decision for connections. He has given them a decision worth making.
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