By Tom Frary
Tuesday's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket had an open look to it on paper, but Juddmonte's Zanzoun (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) emerged front and centre to provide more Classic options for her owner-breeders. Always travelling strongly under the patient tactics employed by Kieran Shoemark, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 9-1 shot rolled down the hill and to the fore before outstaying Celestial Orbit (GB) (No Nay Never) for a 1 3/4-length success. Remaat (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) was a further half a length away in third.
“She enjoyed the ground, settled early which was pleasing and travelled very well,” John Gosden said of the Southwell maiden winner, whose dam Franconia (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was a listed winner for this stable. “She likes to get her toe in, so we'll always be looking for this kind of ground for her. Her mother was a nice filly who stayed a mile and a quarter, but I think a mile is going to be this one's limit. I think she's more one for France [for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches] than the 1,000 Guineas.”
Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon backed up that sentiment as he reflected on the winner, who had raced too freely on her second start when third over a mile at Yarmouth before opening her account at Southwell last term. “She's a filly we thought a lot of last year, so it's not entirely a surprise and it's a good result,” he said. She's not in the Guineas, but she is in the French Guineas, so we'll speak to the trainer and the owner and see what they'd like to do. Red Letter is still a possible for the Guineas here. She's got a few more bits of work to do, but she's still on the list and we'll firm it up in the next week I'd say.”
Trainer Ollie Sangster said of Celestial Orbit, “She quickened off a quickening pace, which is always nice, and Jamie [Spencer] said she'd have no problem getting a mile. The key to her is some ease in the ground, so that will dictate our next move quite strongly. She's in the Guineas here, whether she warrants coming for that, we'll see what the weather does and how she is in the next few weeks, but she's going to take a good step forward from that. She's in the French Guineas as well, so that's an option. As I say, her next race will be dictated by the ground and how she's doing as she'd been off the track for a while and I'd say she's had a hard enough race there.”
🚀 Zanzoun lands the Nell Gwyn for team Gosden pic.twitter.com/UDrAvGdBTH
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 15, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Zanzoun is the first of three foals out of the aforementioned Franconia, all being by Dubawi with her second sadly having died last year and her yearling a colt. The second dam Winter Sunrise (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), whose best performer was the G1 Nassau Stakes heroine Winsili (GB) (Dansili {GB}), is a half-sister to the G2 Prix Greffulhe scorer Ice Blue (GB) (Dansili {GB}). The stamina-infused family also includes the top-level winners Polish Summer (GB) (Polish Precedent), Meteor Storm (GB) (Bigstone {Ire}) and Ice Breeze (GB) (Nayef).
Tuesday, Newmarket, Britain
LANWADES STUD NELL GWYN STAKES-G3, £85,000, Newmarket, 4-15, 3yo, f, 7fT, 1:29.22, g/s.
1–ZANZOUN (GB), 128, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Franconia (GB) (MSW-Eng), by Frankel (GB)
2nd Dam: Winter Sunrise (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Winter Solstice (GB), by Unfuwain
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Kieran Shoemark. £48,204. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, $81,359. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Celestial Orbit (GB), 128, f, 3, No Nay Never–Rose Bonheur (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (260,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Magnier's, Shanahan & MacLennan; B-B V Sangster (GB); T-Ollie Sangster. £18,275.
3–Remaat (GB), 128, f, 3, Kodiac (GB)–Savaanah (Ire), by Olden Times (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Prince A A Faisal; B-Nawara Stud Ltd (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £9,146.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, HF. Odds: 9.00, 9.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Arabian Dusk (GB), Nardra (Ire), Biniorella Bay (GB), Verse Of Love (GB), Cartwheel (GB), Saguaro Blossom (Ire), Qarlyga (Fr).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
