Twilight Jet impresses for O'Callaghan & Roche

The Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes went to 9/2 chance Twilight Jet in the hands of Leigh Roche.

A Group 3 winner during a very busy campaign at two, the strongly-made colt was ridden clear over a furlong out by Leigh Roche and kept on well to defeat New York City by three lengths.

The unbeaten Beauty Inspire went down in the stalls and had to be withdrawn before the start.

Winning trainer Michael O'Callaghan said: “It was impressive and a relief as well. He missed six weeks in the spring, we just swam him for six weeks, and if this was three weeks ago he wouldn't have been ready.

“He's just come right and that makes it all the more impressive to me, knowing how his prep went during the spring.

“He always looked like one that could improve with time, he's a fine big horse. He has a bit of class and has a lot of natural speed.

“He's going to improve for the run today, I've no doubt Leigh is going to tell me that he had a blow.

“He took plenty of pulling up and galloped down to the third fence down the back before he got him pulled up.

“I think he has strengthened up enough this year to get six furlongs. In the Middle Park last year he showed his class but just didn't see out the six furlongs.

“I think this year he looks strong enough to go to Royal Ascot for the Commonwealth Cup with a big chance.

“The Cornwallis was his ninth run last year and he went to the Breeders Cup after that.

“Michael and Julia Iavarone, whose colours he runs in, used to own Big Brown who won the Kentucky Derby and they bought into 50 percent of him to go to the Breeders Cup.

“I'm just delighted that he's come out this year as a three-year-old and he's furnished and he's gone and done it.

“We always thought he was probably a Group 1 horse. He's trained on now over the winter and proved that he justifies being classed as something that's maybe a Group 1 horse this year.”

Quotes from Gary Carson