Son of Darley stalwart John Ferguson speaks to Jon Lees about his hopes for the gelding – and his impending move to Hugo Palmer’s former base in Newmarket
GB: James Ferguson is a trainer who is going places. In September he is moving to a bigger yard in Newmarket, then in November he will head to Australia to saddle the current favourite for the Melbourne Cup, Deauville Legend.
Last year during only his second full season with a licence, the 32-year-old son of former Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson, trained his first G1 winner when El Bodegon captured the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
The 2022 campaign has brought more headlines thanks to the exploits of Deauville Legend, the gelded son of Sea The Stars who secured an emphatic win in the Great Voltigeur Stakes during the York Ebor Festival.
The G2 race is a recognised trial for the St Leger, and given that he had also won the G3 Bahrain Trophy at the July meeting, Deauville Legend would surely have been a major contender for the final Classic of the British season – except that geldings aren’t eligible.
As a result, both trainer Ferguson and Hong Kong-based owner Boniface Ho Ka-kui have their sights set on Flemington.
“Winning the Great Voltigeur was huge,” said Ferguson. “It was a wonderful thrill to do it for an owner who has been so supportive, especially at this early stage of my career.
‘Improving with every run’
“Deauville Legend has been improving with every run and it’s very exciting that he is favourite for the Melbourne Cup,” he went on. “There is still a long way to go to get to Melbourne but we hope we can get him there in one piece and he can run a very big race.”
Deauville Legend will enter quarantine in mid-September and fly to Australia in early October to begin final preparations. It’s not an unfamiliar routine for Ferguson, who supervised runners at the Melbourne spring carnival in his former role as assistant to Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby
“Having worked down there and travelled horses for Charlie Appleby, the Melbourne Cup has always been a race I’ve been keen on winning, or just having a runner,” he explained.
“I took horses down there the year before Cross Counter won so I know Werribee, where he will be training, so hopefully we can work out a good routine.
“I think he certainly fits the profile,” added the trainer. “Even in the Gordon Stakes, although he came second [to St Leger favourite New London] everyone forgets he was carrying a 3lb penalty.
‘He’s got all the attributes’
“I think he is in the top four or five mile-and-a-half stayers in Europe. He fits the profile – he’s got all the attributes for the Melbourne Cup. He has the tactical speed to put himself in the right places and he is a smooth traveller so I can understand why he is favourite. Winning it would be an absolute dream.”
Deauville Legend was bought as a yearling for €200,000 by Avenue Bloodstock, the agency established by John Ferguson with Mark McStay, Ho’s European racing consultant.
James rode as an amateur jockey for his father when the latter ran his own successful jumps stable and then learned his training craft, not just under Appleby, but Sir Mark Prescott, whom he joined from university, Jessica Harrington and Brian Meehan.
The younger Ferguson sent out his first runner in November 2019 and has a career tally of 59 winners, of which five have been at Group level. Eager to stay on an upward trajectory, he will move to the 96-box stable vacated by Hugo Palmer at Kremlin Cottage; the facilities include two horse walkers, lunge ring, paddocks and salt therapy chamber.
“It’s a logical move,” said Ferguson. “We have 55 horses now but are looking to expand and increase our numbers. Hugo Palmer had a lot of success from that yard and we are hoping to continue that success.”
El Bodegon joins Chris Waller
However, Ferguson will embark on the next phase of his career without El Bodegon who ran his last race for the yard when finishing third behind Deauville Legend at York. The colt who was also runner-up in the Prix du Jockey Club and third in the Grand Prix de Paris is joining Australia’s leading trainer Chris Waller for a tilt at the Cox Plate.
“It’s a loss to the yard but it was always the plan he would go to Australia,” said Ferguson. “I am grateful his owners buy these yearlings with me and part of my job is to make sure they get down to Australia in tip-top condition. I think we’ve done it pretty well.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson hopes the G3-winning filly Mise En Scene will fly the flag at home, Qatar Racing’s daughter of Siyouni having missed most of the summer since finishing down the field in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
“Mise En Scene had a break and she looks a different filly now,” reported Ferguson. “She ran back at Sandown [sixth in a G3] where she ran on nicely. I know she wants further so we will run her over a 1m2f next start. The way she is going I think we will see her back in form in her forthcoming races.
“I have a number of unraced two-year-olds that are very exciting but from the three-year-olds Mise En Scene will be the one running in the top races.”
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