Robert Havlin

Green when runner-up in her Aug. 2 unveiling tackling one mile at Kempton, George Strawbridge's homebred 2-year-old filly Natasha (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a half-sister to Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), returned to the scene of that defeat to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status with an imperious performance in Friday's Try Our New Price Boosts At Unibet Fillies' Novice S. over the same one-mile strip. Sent forward to gain an early lead after breaking fourth from the outside gate, the 8-11 favourite  was untroubled on the front end throughout and powered...

Hampered in the straight when 12th contesting Chantilly's June 6 G1 Prix du Jockey Club last time, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred 3-year-old colt Megallan (GB) (Kingman {GB}) gained some measure of recompense with a career-high win dropping down to a mile for Thursday's G3 D & N Construction Sovereign S. at Salisbury. The April-foaled bay had earlier secured a stakes breakthrough when successful in Newcastle's Apr. 2 Listed Burradon S. and followed up with a May 13 G2 Dante S. second at York in his penultimate start. He tracked the tempo...

Passed over by Frankie Dettori and one of the outsiders for Thursday's G2 Ribblesdale S., Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who carries the colours of Trevor Harris's Lordship Stud nevertheless held the John and Thady Gosden stable's bragging rights as she showed admirable toughness to upgrade her profile. Sent forward from her wide draw by Robert Havlin and avoiding the scrimmaging between keen-going fillies toward the rail as a result, the 18-1 shot stayed out of trouble tracking the leader Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) throughout the early stages. Committed...

Jockey Rob Havlin was banned for three weeks by the Lingfield stewards after finishing second aboard John and Thady Gosden's 16-1 second string Stowell (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) on Wednesday evening. The Sky Sports Racing HD Virgin 535 Novice S. was won by fellow Gosden trainee Polling Day (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with Frankie Dettori in the irons as the 2-9 crowd's pick. Havlin's mount met with some traffic throughout the race, but was making up ground while under a conservative ride to miss by a head. There was a...

Jockey Robert 'Rab' Havlin registered his 1,000th career winner when Pitcher's Point (Medaglia d'Oro) led throughout in the Ladbrokes Where The Nation Plays Novice S. at Lingfield. Havlin, who has spent a large portion of his career based at John Gosden's powerful Newmarket stable, brought the 10-11 favourite home an easy three-length winner from market rival London Arch (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). It was fitting that his landmark success came on a horse trained by Gosden. Among his career highlights Havlin has ridden the likes of Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}),...

Look up the race records of Enable (GB), Stradivarius (Ire), Cracksman (GB), Jack Hobbs (GB) and Without Parole (GB) and you'll find that, bar the fact that they are all Group 1 winners to have been trained by John Gosden, they have something else in common. These top horses, along with plenty of others in the stable, were all ridden to victory on their debuts by Robert Havlin, better known simply as 'Rab'. The Scotsman is the epitome of the loyal second jockey. With his humility and the fact that...