3 minute read
A drop to ten furlongs looks on the cards for Epsom Derby runner-up King Of Steel with a trip to Dublin for the Irish Champion Stakes seemingly preferred at this stage.
Roger Varian's Derby runner-up was sent off the 9-2 second-favourite for King George glory on the back of an impressive success in the Hardwicke Stakes over the same course and distance, but despite travelling powerfully into the contest, the son of Wootton Bassett failed to stay in contention with Hukum and Westover and faded into third place.
Connections now believe that a drop back in trip will be on the cards with entries in both the Juddmonte International Stakes at York and Irish Champion Stakes, the striking grey will be surely seeking for a first Group 1 success before the season is out.
Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for Amo[Racing], said: "King Of Steel is in good form and Roger is very happy with him,"
"We're undecided where we will go at the minute, and we've got a lot of decisions to make.
"He's in the Juddmonte, he's entered in the Irish Champion,and we put him in the Champion Stakes at Ascot the other day and I think we believe now that 10 furlongs is his trip. He's not a slow horse by any means."
"All options are open, and we need to speak to Roger but at this stage, I would say we will probably be leaning towards the Irish Champion Stakes."
King Of Steel travelled powerfully into contention in both this year's Epsom Derby and King George before fading late on and connections are expecting the striking grey to excel when dropped to a mile and a quarter.
"I think we got away with it at Royal Ascot, but as you saw he was keen early in the King George. You could argue coming round into the straight he was the last horse off the bridle and just flattened out the last furlong, Kevin (Stott) said he was running on fumes.
"I think a strongly-run 10 furlongs with an end-to-end gallop is where you will really see him at his best."
Paddy Power make King Of Steel a 15/2 chance for success in the Juddmonte International, while the same firm goes 6/1 for the AMO Racing-owned colt to land the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.
