Kinross fends off Isaac Shelby to lift Lennox crown

Group Two win for Frankie Dettori’s mount at Goodwood.

Frankie Dettori opened his account at this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival as Kinross gained a second success in the World Pool Lennox Stakes.

It was a case of experience prevailing over youth as the six-year-old Kinross pulled clear with the three-year-old Isaac Shelby.

Having won the race in 2021 and finished second 12 months ago, seven furlongs with cut in the ground are the ideal conditions for Ralph Beckett’s Kinross.

When the split came up the inside, Dettori took advantage as Audience weakened but Isaac Shelby still looked a danger.

Despite a 6lb pull at the weights, Isaac Shelby, runner-up in the French Guineas, could not quite do enough and the 10-11 favourite began to pull away at the line to win by a neck.

Dettori said: “He tries, he loves the ground and loves the track. I think seven (furlongs) is his best but he can do six and a mile. He’s my ATM machine!

“From the Prix de la Foret he might go to somewhere else, maybe Doncaster and I think Marc (Chan, owner) is keen to run him in Hong Kong. I promised I’ll go.”

Beckett said: “We’ve never had one like him. He’s spent most of the last 48 hours with his left fore in a bucket because he trod on a stone, he’s got very thin soles and he feels every pin prick. He should have won it last year really, he got trapped in and got there too late.

“What a horse to train, he’s a joy to train.

“We’ll take the same route again with him and try to dance every dance. Santa Anita again and in between he might go to York for the City Of York and Doncaster for the Park Stakes. I hope he’ll go to Longchamp for the Foret and the sprint at Ascot.

“We’ll dance every dance again – he’s a gelding, he’s got to dance every dance.”

Of a possible Hong Kong challenge, Beckett added: “There is an idea that might happen, we might have to duck one of the races here to ensure he gets there – it’s a good problem to have.

“He needs no work, he’s very clean winded and you really don’t have to gallop him at all. He is very easy to train but he wasn’t initially, he didn’t get his act together until he won the Hyde Stakes but once he’s in a groove, he stays in that groove and you don’t have to do anything to keep him that way.”

Should Kinross line up in the Foret at ParisLongchamp in the autumn, he could well clash again with Isaac Shelby.

His trainer Brian Meehan said: “I am disappointed he got beat but pleased he got that close to showing himself to be a genuine Group One horse, which I’m sure he is.

“I’m where I want to be with him and he will only get better.

“I shall talk to the owners and see what they want to do and they will ask the same about me.

“But the ground has never been a factor. Sean was very happy and I guess the cutaway helped Kinross somewhat.

“The Foret is the obvious race for him, but let’s see.”

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