John Gosden targeting overseas victories with Izzi Top
Trainer John Gosden has high targets for Izzi Top, after his maverick filly registered the first Group One win at Curragh last week. In the hands of William Buick, the 4-year-old produced a shocking result in the £95,000, Barclays Bank Ireland Pretty Polly
Stakes.
Izzi Top ended up with only three rivals to beat. Since the conditions at Curragh were too testing due to the heavy rain, many veteran handlers decided not to send their trainees in the 1m2f meeting.
Following the absence of giant like Maybe, Sapphire was given the highest odds of 10 to 11. However, the favourite runner was totally helpless in front of Izzi Top, who was dominant right from the beginning.
She tracked the leader in a great fashion in early stages of the race. An excellent effort in the middle stages helped her take a handsome lead a furlong before the winning post. She kept on well and comfortably secured the top place by one and a quarter
lengths.
Following a tremendous performance on a very soft ground at Curragh, Izzi Top has won the trust of her trainer, who is now aiming high. The filly’s dam, Zee Zee Top, won the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp and the 4-year-old would look to repeat the history.
In the meantime, she is set to visit Japan for the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup later this season. After doing a wonderful job at Newmarket, York and Curragh, the filly has set sights on the big prizes abroad.
"She comes from one of the best Meon Valley families - her mother won the Prix de l'Opera. She's a big, strong filly and has got better with age. It was always the hope to go from the Middleton to the Pretty Polly. We popped the Dahlia in first, which wasn't
the plan because we were having trouble with the ground and whether we'd get a race into her and she went and won that," Gosden told At The Races.
He added: "She'll be in races like the Nassau and we'll see what the ground is there, and the Prix de l'Opera like her mother.”
Tags: