Roaring Lion will head to the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday in preference to the longer Qipco Champion Stakes with Oisin Murphy brimful of confidence his partner is ready to shine back at a mile.
Both punters and bookmakers seemingly share Murphy’s faith in Roaring Lion, who began the day a 3-1 chance but, with doubts about running plans now removed, was a general 9-4 clear favourite on Thursday evening.
Qatar Racing’s son of Kitten’s Joy will bid to win his fourth Group 1 in succession after claiming the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International and Qipco Irish Champion Stakes, all at around a mile and a quarter.
But with ground conditions guaranteed to be softer than for any of his previous 11 career starts, John Gosden and part-owner Sheikh Fahad elected on Thursday morning to take the shorter route on the part of the Ascot track that has stood up best to the 40mm of rain that fell last weekend.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, card, form and betting
Clerk of the course Chris Stickels announced a slight improvement in conditions on Thursday afternoon and such is Murphy’s unshakable confidence in Roaring Lion that he believes he could show himself better than ever on his first start at a mile since finishing fifth in the 2,000 Guineas at the start of May.
He told British Champions Day: “He’s an exceptional horse and every time I ride him I need to keep that in mind. Horses like him are so hard to get your hands on and he will have no trouble coming back in trip.
“If you roll back the clock to the 2,000 Guineas, clearly he’s proved now that he’s a much better horse than Saxon Warrior. If you could run the Guineas again tomorrow morning, at the stage he is now, I think he would win. He’s a different horse now to what he was in May.”
Gosden has made no secret of the fact Roaring Lion was something of a playboy in the spring and has required plenty of work to curb his sometimes wayward tendencies on track, the fruits of which could be seen when he ran straight and true at both York and Leopardstown on his two most recent starts.
Picking up on the theme, Murphy said: “At the races he’s brilliant and very relaxed about the whole thing, but going to post you need to switch him on by giving him a proper canter, otherwise he’s not focused and he would think he’s just there for a day out.”
Gosden has always maintained that, although the Champion Stakes was his preferred choice for Saturday, he would have no hesitation in dropping back in trip for the QEII should ground conditions threaten to turn Ascot’s round course too attritional for Roaring Lion.
Gosden said on Thursday morning: “I’ve spoken to the owner, and the decision has been taken to run Roaring Lion in the QEII. I didn’t walk the track this morning but got updates from the clerk of the course and Roaring Lion will go the mile route on Saturday.”
Stickels announced a slight improvement in conditions on Thursday afternoon, although the track is expected to remain testing for Saturday.
“We’ve had a better day with no rain and some sunny spells,” said Stickels at just after 4pm. ”I’ve changed the ground on the straight course to soft and on the round course to soft, heavy in places.
“We’re still forecast to be largely dry, but we could have misty mornings and I don’t anticipate significant drying, but things might improve a little bit more, given that forecast.”
ASCOT: 1:25 - 4:30 Flat 6 races, GOING SOFT (Heavy in places on the Round course) (Partly cloudy), STALLS Straight course – Centre; Round course – Inside
Champions Day: Cracksman to wear blinkers in QIPCO Champion Stakes
Cracksman will wear blinkers on his final racecourse outing in Saturday’s Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.
The John Gosden-trained colt is trying to win the race for a second successive year after he demolished a good field last season.
However, despite winning two Group Ones this term, the Prix Ganay and the Coronation Cup, he has failed to hit last year’s heights, scrambling home at Epsom and being beaten in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Gosden put that performance down to the quick ground, meaning he has not run since because of the heatwave this summer, and also not having his mind fully on the job – hence the application of headgear.
“I’m considering all options,” Gosden said on the gallops at Newmarket last Friday as the Frankel colt breezed past him. “There has always been a prejudice in this country against blinkers and anything of that nature. In America in a 12-horse field, usually eight of them have blinkers.
“The great horses like Northern Dancer and Secretariat consistently ran in blinkers and we thought nothing of it in America.
“Plenty of horses, like us, need to stay focused on what they are doing and it’s a very useful aid. They are another tool in the box.”
Stablemates Monarchs Glen and Maverick Wave will join him in the eight-runner field.
Aidan O’Brien runs last year’s St Leger winner Capri and the Lockinge victor Rhododendron, who has been very disappointing since Newbury in May.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Crystal Ocean looks the main threat to Cracksman having pushed Poet’s Word all the way in the King George in August. He was, however, no match for Enable at Kempton when trying to concede weight last time out.
Jim Bolger’s Verbal Dexterity, a Group One winner at two, and Subway Dancer from the Czech Republic complete the field.
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