Thundering Blue was ridden for a place much like Desert Encounter in the Eclipse last year so I wouldnt knock the form on that. Poets Word obviously bit unlucky the way the race panned out and done well to get second after that but Roaring Lion stepped up massively on his Eclipse run and all Poets Word would have been was a closer 2nd.
Despite the US pedigree, Roaring Lion is bred for turf not dirt, Kittens Joy is a 1m4 turf sire and the dam was a turf horse as well. I wasnt sure he was good enough to win our G1 races after coming up short a few times but he has proved me wrong. I always said he would clean up in USturf G1s if he didnt make the grade here as hes a rolls royce turf cruiser suited to a slow pace. I wouldnt dream of throwing him into a 10f dirt G1 at Churchill and after having won the Eclipse and the Judmmonte, he doesnt need to go anywhere after the Irish Champion other than for sporting purposes, Hong Kong Cup would be a decent option. Gosden was adamant that he doesnt stay 12f so that would rule out the BC Turf.
Hopefully they keep him in training next year.