‘Legend’ - The Horse only getting better ahead of Irish Derby Festival It is fair to say every trainer, jockey and owner would like to be involved with a horse like Big Gossey. His never-say-die attitude has transformed him into a fans’ favourite and a legend of the Curragh. He has had 41 career starts at the County Kildare track, winning eight and placing nine times. It's a remarkable achievement and he's still only eight years’ old, so this record could grow by the time he finishes racing. William Hill Betting Offer If you already have a William Hill account, check out more of the best betting sites and casino bonuses Where did it all start? He started racing life at the Curragh, being well beaten in a maiden in October 2019, but it wasn't until the year after that his love affair with the Curragh would start. He won a 17-runner handicap impressively, and was then highly tried in a range of different contests before his next drink at the Curragh 16 months later. It was when he became a little older that his best performances came to light. As a six-year-old he competed at the highest level of Irish sprints, placing in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes won by Group 1 winner Art Power. Big efforts followed, when winning and placing in fiercely competitive sprint handicaps not long after, and this is where the racing public's love for him developed as he established himself as an ultra-consistent performer who never seemed to know when to give up. His finest hour Despite winning and placing in so many races over the years at the Curragh, his finest hour is relatively recent, when he won the Listed Gladness Stakes, narrowly beating Camille Pissarro. That Aidan O'Brien-trained colt has since placed in the French 2,000 Guineas and won the French Derby. Big Gossey’s victory was an impressive achievement, not just because of the form of the placed horses but also because it was a surprise he was able to stay the trip. His trainer, Charles O'Brien, suggested after the race that he thought the seven furlongs “might just find him out”, but it's now clear he's trip-versatile. What's next? Well, despite being eight years’ old, Big Gossey is clearly in the form of his life, placing in a Group 2 sprint last time out. He is dropping down in grade in Sunday's Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Dash Stakes, and the ultra-consistent fans’ favourite should be very competitive in that. And now that he is trip-versatile after his win over Camille Pissarro, he also has an entry in the 7f Group 2 Minstrel Stakes in a few weeks. Whatever happens next for Big Gossey, one thing is for sure: it will be taking place at his favourite track, the Curragh.
