Clive Cox considering Royal Lodge date for Cobh

Horse Racing

Graham Clark
August 24, 2020 12:30 pm

Salisbury winner could head to Newmarket.

Clive Cox is considering pitching Cobh into Pattern company for the first time in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.

The Lambourn handler has earmarked the Group Two prize over a mile on September 26 as a potential target for the Kodi Bear colt.

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After finding Chindit too strong in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot on his penultimate start, Cobh struck at the same level on his first attempt over a mile in the Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury on Friday.

Cobh gets back to winning ways, staying on strongly to take the @IrishEBF_ Stonehenge Stakes under Adam Kirby for Clive Cox ? pic.twitter.com/cdBE3dECNX

— Salisbury Racecourse (@salisburyraces) August 21, 2020

Cox said: “He is a very progressive colt with bags of scope and he is a horse to be excited about the future with.

“We will quite possibly look at the Royal Lodge with him as it was a race that was mentioned for him but we will do what is best for the horse.

“Though he clearly handles easy ground he does go on quick ground as well which he showed when he was second at Ascot in the Pat Eddery.”

While Cobh saw out the mile well on his latest start, Cox claims he would not hesitate to drop him back a furlong should the right opportunity arise.

He added: “He clearly got the mile well, but he has gears to still consider the seven-furlong options as well back on easy ground.

“With strength horses get further but they also get quicker so I would keep an open mind.

Group Two winner Kodi Bear who is the sire of Cobh (John Walton/PA Images) — Group Two winner Kodi Bear who is the sire of Cobh (John Walton/PA)

There was further reason for Cox to celebrate Cobh’s latest success as it was the first at that level for his sire, and former stable star, Kodi Bear.

He added: “I’m delighted Kodi Bear has had his first Listed winner as a sire after training him. He is a horse to be excited about for the future.

“He is a bit bigger than his dad already. Kodi Bear was very much at home around a mile, so I’m hoping he can be a decent mile prospect.

“It is nice to have some really exciting colts like him in the yard.”

Royal Scimitar is expected to get a mile in time (Steven Cargill/PA Images) — Royal Scimitar is expected to get a mile in time (Steven Cargill/PA)

Cox believes a mile will be within reach of Royal Scimitar, who finished fourth in last week’s Group Three Acomb Stakes at York having previously made a winning debut at Newbury.

He added: “He is another nice, young horse that is full of scope. He was a little bit green still in the Acomb.

“He will clearly get a mile next year as well. It was a promising step forward and a visual improvement on his run from Newbury.”