John Gosden wins a seventh Lancashire Oaks with The Black Princess at Haydock
It may have been a big day for John Gosden but it was arguably a bigger success for jockey Robert Tart, who gained his first win at Group Two level.
ROBERT TART enjoyed his biggest success to date when completing a double for the Gosden stable on The Black Princess (3-1) in the bet365 Lancashire Oaks.
The 24-year-old jockey timed his run to perfection to collar the 6-4 favourite Abingdon and take the Group Two contest by half a length.
Ajman Princess was a length away in third, with the winner's stablemate Hertford Dancer fourth.
Tart said: "She did it nicely. She's got a lot of guts and is very game. I was very pleased with her.
"This is my best day ever, Mr Gosden has given me a Group Three winner (Cunco, in the Sandown Classic Trial) and now a Group Two winner.
"I've been part-time with him for two and a half years and he's a gentleman."
John Gosden's travelling head lad, Tony Proctor, said: "He's in the yard every single morning and he's a great lad. There are lots of good jockeys but he's an exceptional horseman as well, which is rare now.
"He's taking the chances Mr Gosden is giving him."
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Of The Black Princess, he said: "She's done nothing wrong since we've had her. She went to France and won there. Then she ran at York and made the running which didn't suit her.
"Mentally, she's been a bit slow at coming to herself. Physically, she's always been there.
"She's not had many races and looked as good today as we thought she would."
Ballymacoll Stud general manager Peter Reynolds said of runner-up Abingdon: "She ran a super race, she just got caught but she is Group Two-placed now and is a valuable lady.
"She will be sold in December, sadly, but I hope she will give us more fun before then."