Lord North has been transformed since being gelded and stepped up to Gr1 level with a scintillating win in Wednesday’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (10f).
Lord North has graduated from winning the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket last October and the four-year-old showed an outstanding turn of foot to come home comfortably by 3-3/4 lengths over Addeybb with Barney Roy a further 1-1/4 lengths away third with the favourite Japan in fourth.
Gosden said gelding the son of Dubawi was the only option.
“Lord North was gelded (after 2019 spring campaign), he needed to be. He was tormenting himself. Testosterone is the most dangerous drug in the world, and he is a lovely horse to be around now,” Gosden said.
“Lord North has a lovely character now and when they let Bangkok have his head as I thought that would do one day, boy we had an honest gallop.
“Japan missed the break which messed him up for him and Addeybb was right up there. We had a good even pace to run at and he has come from last. He was ridden very cool. Rab Havlin told James Doyle that was the way to ride him. Rab has ridden him in all his work and rode him at Haydock.
“I would say give him a week, 10 days and see how we are. He has had two very quick races. He blew up at Haydock. Rab said at the furlong pole, he went for his girths, so he did well to hang on there. He has had two hard races, so we’ll freshen him up and then make decisions.”
William Haggas was far from downcast at the defeat of Addeybb.
“I am very proud of Addeybb today – he has run a great race. I am not saying if the race had been run on softer ground (he would have won), but he is better on softer ground. He always tries his heart out and has run a solid race again,” Haggas said.
“Addeybb just tries. If I keep running him on good ground, he will not keep going and doing that (running well). He just gives his all and he has become a high-class very consistent horse and that is another very good run.
Charlie Appleby was far from disappointed with the effort of Barney Roy and said a trip to Australia is the long-term aim.
“He saw the trip out well – I don’t think that we will be going any further than a mile and a quarter – and it would be nice if we stick to our long-term programme with him, which was to take him out to Australia,” Appleby said.
“I think he will be a fun horse to take out there. We will see where we are come the autumn and if we can travel with him.”