By Peter Moore at Lingfield Park Monday 22nd December 2025

Godolphin colt Guildmaster made a striking impression on his debut in the one mile novice opener at Lingfield Park on Monday.

The Teofilo juvenile, brother to French Group 1 winner Gear Up, was a €100,000 foal before being sold for 325,000gns as a yearling in last year’s Tattersalls Book 2 sale and looked the pick of the runners in the parade ring.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the 13-8 favourite was lively in the preliminaries and raced greenly under Robert Havlin, but got the job done to see off Northern Empire and win by three lengths.

“He’s a nice horse, he’s a work in progress,” Havlin told Sky Sports Racing. “The lad said he spent the whole time on his back legs in the pre-parade ring and he was green in the race, on and off the bridle.

“He’ll definitely get ten furlongs. He might be the type, just because of the way he behaved today, to run in another novice under a penalty because he’s strong enough to carry it.

“I don’t think it was a hot race, there’s wasn’t too much depth, but he did a lot of things wrong and still got it right in the end. He’s a nice, big horse, so hopefully he’s got a nice future in the spring.”

The same combination was quickly back in the winners enclosure after Port Of London provided the Gosden’s with a double in the 1m2f handicap.

The 5-2 joint-favourite was making his first start since being gelded and made all to win cosily from Shrimp Shady by two lengths.

Elsewhere, a fine ride from Kieran Shoemark enabled Tokyo Joe to get up on the line to deny Thecoffeepoddotco by half a length for Ed Walker.

Giorgio M has looked a different horse since moving from George Boughey’s yard to Mark Loughnane.

After sixteen runs without a win, the gelding had to grit out a performance to take the 7f handicap under Edward Greatrex.

Julia and Shelley Birkett claimed a first ever winner at Lingfield when Sams Xpress pullled three and three-quarter lengths clear under Dylan Hogan in the 5f handicap, to make it three wins in his last five runs.

Tommy’s Promise made it a hat trick of victories after taking the finale on the card by one and a half lengths from Bintazzo for John Ryan.

It looked like being a frustrating afternoon for the Newmarket handler after having three seconds. However, a patient ride from apprentice Donagh Murphy from the back saw the four-year-old show a super turn of foot to forge clear and give Ryan something to cheer about on the way home.