Lake Forest swoops for top honours in Gimcrack

Nick Robson
August 25, 2023 2:38 pm

Another York winner for Haggas and Marquand.

Lake Forest highlighted his potential star quality when storming to Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.

William Haggas’ charge was sent off 16-1 for the Group Two contest, but he arrived at the Knavesmire with some smart form in the book having finished second to Jasour in the July Stakes earlier in the season.

Archie Watson’s Action Point had led the field along for the majority of the six-furlong event, but it was those on the near side that came to the fore in the closing stages with the son of No Nay Never and Aidan O’Brien’s Windsor Castle second Johannes Brahms bursting clear to dispute the outcome.

A shock in the Gimcrack 👀
Lake Forest (16/1) was a beaten odds-on favourite at Newmarket last time but the No Nay Never colt proved that run all wrong by sweeping up the stands’ side to land the @ABE_Dubai Gimcrack Stakes for William Haggas.@TomMarquand | @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/yigKDMEyjC
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 25, 2023

It was Tom Marquand’s mount who pulled out extra and powered home to score by a length from the Ballydoyle challenger, with Ralph Beckett’s King’s Gamble a further length back in third. Kylian was the strong-travelling 9-4 favourite, and while ultimately disappointing he twice found trouble in running.

It was the Somerville Lodge handler’s second juvenile winner of the week following Relief Rally’s Lowther success on Thursday and Lake Forest was cut to 10-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next month.