Sir Michael Stoute on Monday supplemented the King Edward VII Stakes winner
Hillstar for Saturday’s Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Sir Evelyn De Rothschild’s homebred three-year-old was added at a cost of
£75,000 to make a total of 11 contenders for
the 12-furlong feature, headed by six-time Group 1 winner St Nicholas Abbey.
Third in 2011 and 2012, the six-year-old is currently favorite to improve on
those efforts, and Joseph O’Brien is hoping he can deliver.
“He seems in very good form, he seems to be working nicely and we’re looking
forward to it,” O’Brien said. “The ground was quite slow last year and I got
back a long way, and the year before they went very slow and I probably didn’t
have him the right place, so I think we probably have legitimate excuses.
Hopefully I won’t get the blame again.
“I think he’s quite a straightforward horse; I don’t think what happens in
the race is going to matter to me too much. The quicker the ground, the better.
He wants good-to-firm ground and if it got any softer than good, I would have a
little worry.”
Heading the opposition is the similarly prolific top-level performer Cirrus
des Aigles and Novellist, who had that rival back in fifth in the June 23 Grand
Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Ryan Moore had been set to renew his partnership with Novellist, but now that
he is on Hillstar it could be that William Buick is called upon for the German
challenger.
“William Buick is the first choice as he has ridden Novellist before, at Baden-Baden last year,”
trainer Andreas Wohler said. “If he is unable to ride, then
Johnny Murtagh will ride. The horse is very well — he couldn’t be better.”
Wohler also spoke with The Daily Telegraph regarding Novellist’s
chances.
“He is a very good-moving horse, and if the ground is fast on Saturday, that
is not really a concern. I expect him to run well,” the trainer said.
Irish Derby winner Trading Leather, course-and-distance victor Ektihaam and
Qatar flagbearer Very Nice Name are other notables.
Trainer Roger Varian commented on Ektihaam, who was leading in the June 22
Hardwicke here before slipping and falling.
“He’s just had routine exercise
this morning — a couple of canters, and he’ll do stronger work tomorrow,”
Varian said. “I’m
happy with how he is; he’s moving well and he looks great. To have a horse going
who is a genuine contender is really exciting. It’s a huge race, one of the top
races in Europe, and to be involved is massive for me.”
Very Nice Name won three times in Qatar earlier in the year and was an excellent
third behind St Nicholas Abbey in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.
“He did a nice piece of work on the racecourse at
Chantilly last week with Olivier Peslier,” trainer Alban de Mieulle said.
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