The going at Ascot has changed to good to firm, firm in places (from good to firm) for King George day after just 0.2mm of rain at the track since midnight.
Conditions have dried out during the morning, making Wonderful Tonight’s participation in the showpiece event very unlikely.
Thunderstorms remain a possibility for the afternoon but decent ground would be against Hardwicke winner Wonderful Tonight, who is a 9-1 chance.
Wonderful Tonight, the mount of Oisin Murphy, also holds entries in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next Saturday and the Juddmonte International and Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York’s Ebor meeting next month.
Menuisier, who went out to walk the track at midday and will decide on Wonderful Tonight’s participation by 2.30pm, said on Friday: “We’ll give her every possible chance and wait as long as we possibly can. There are thunderstorms forecast and a good chance of heavy showers. That doesn’t mean Ascot will get them, but as long as it remains a possibility we owe it to the filly to keep her in the race and take her to Ascot on Saturday, where we will sit and wait.
“What will I do if the ground is good? I’ll play it by ear and make a decision. If it doesn’t rain we’ll come home and enjoy the drive back, but she’s been grand since Royal Ascot and she’s definitely ready for another run. The King George is one of the best races in the world, and we’d love to be part of it.”
Market movers
3.35 Ascot Lone Eagle 9-2 (from 13-2)
4.45 Ascot Alminoor 12-1 (from 25)
5.00 York Baltic Baron 7-1 (from 9)
Frankie Dettori could become the winningmost jockey in the history of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (3.35) at Ascot this afternoon and his mount Lone Eagle has been backed into 9-2 (from 13-2) with bet365.
The Martyn Meade-trained three-year-old was narrowly denied by Hurricane Lane in the Irish Derby last time, with the winner following up in the Grand Prix de Paris last week.
Dettori and Lester Piggott have won the Ascot showpiece seven times, with the Italian jockey successful in three of the last four years aboard Enable.
View from the track
What will the ground be for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes? Looking out at Ascot racecourse right now, it’s extremely hard to be sure, although there’s a good chance raincoats will be needed at some point during the afternoon.
The problem is the weather forecast proved extremely unreliable overnight, so whether it will be true to its word over the coming hours is anyone’s guess.
We were due to have had around 8mm of rain by now, which would have been great news for the connections of Wonderful Tonight. Instead, we got 0.2mm, amounting to probably a bit less tonic than you might add to your gin. It’s not warm and the sky is grey but there is currently no rain threatening the team of 20 workers walking up the home straight to ensure the turf is as it should be.
At 10am, clerk of the course Chris Stickels was happy to describe track conditions as good to firm. However, before racing begins there is a very good chance the racing surface will be officially quicker than that. What happens thereafter is, quite literally, up in the air.
“I’m certainly not expecting the ground to ease before racing,” said Stickels. “In fact, when I walk the track again at around 11am I think there’s a very strong chance I’ll be changing the description to good to firm, firm in places, those places including a spot on the turn for home, one in the straight and another past the winning line.”
Stickels adds: “We may, though, get some thundery showers in the afternoon. The reality, though, is they really don’t know what we’ll get. In fact, there’s still a 40 per cent chance of getting 20mm, which would take us to the easy side of good.
“Having said that, we know the weather you’re forecast isn’t always the weather you get. My overall inclination is that we’re not likely to get the top end of that 20mm and that we’re probably not going to see a significant easing of the ground.”
Lee Mottershead
Posted at 10.25am
A sound surface will best suit King George favourite Love, who is a general 15-8 favourite and has won seven of her eight starts on good ground or quicker, and 8-1 shot Mishriff, who is 2-2 in such conditions.
The going is good to firm at York, where Mohaafeth takes on Armory in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes (3.15) and Brian Hughes, Bryony Frost and Tom Scudamore are among the riders competing in the Sky Bet Jump Jockeys Nunthorpe Handicap (2.05).
There has been a significant going change at Salisbury’s evening meeting after 20mm of rain in the early hours of Saturday morning. The going is now described as good to soft, good in places (from good to firm, firm in places).
Read a selection of Saturday previews . . .
Why big-race throwback Adayar has it all to prove in stellar King George
3.35 Ascot: Aidan O’Brien on Love’s chances in the King George
3.00 Ascot: are we looking at a Group 1 horse in a handicap? International Stakes insight
3.15 York: Armory takes on promising Mohaafeth in Group 2
2.40 York: dual winner Flying Pursuit one of four runners for Easterby in Dash
fonte : RacingPost
