The tremendously popular old-timer Geordieland is set to be seen again in the Group 2 Artemis Goodwood Cup despite having run poorly on his return to the fray after a long absence when pulled up in the Ascot Gold Cup won in such tremendous fashion by Aidan O'Brien's Fame And Glory last month, writes Elliot Slater.
Hopes had been high that the 10-year-old would give a good account of himself at the royal meeting, despite the Jamie Osborne-trained entire having been off the track for 21 months after suffering a series of training setbacks. Amongst the very best stayers of his generation, the grey son of Johann Quatz is probably best known for being one of the few horses capable of giving the mighty Yeats a race having finished second to the Ballydoyle legend in both the 2007 and 2008 Ascot Gold Cup's and then third in the same race to the same horse 12 months later. Anyone looking at the Goodwood odds will be wondering if he can find any of the old magic.
When he disappeared off the radar after finishing third to Askar Tau in the 2009 Doncaster Cup it seemed fair to assume that at his advanced age Geordieland would most likely be retired, but Osborne has been convinced that the old horse still has a decent engine and had been hopeful he would run well at Ascot last month. As it turned out he ran freely under Richard Hughes who was forced to allow him to pull himself into the lead at halfway, but his mount was a spent force six furlongs from home and was then pulled up quickly a furlong later, suggesting something was amiss.
Nothing significant has
subsequently come to light and Osborne has been happy with Geordieland's
recent training gallops so is now keen for the stayer to take his chance in
the Goodwood Cup at the end of the month, a race in which he finished second
to Yeats in 2006 and fifth a year later to Allegretto.
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