NEWS ROUND-UP:THE QUESTION of who will ride Cape Blanco in Saturday's King George VI Stakes won't be answered until later in the week, but Aidan O'Brien's star is firmly on track for a mouth-watering clash of the Derby winners at Ascot.
Cape Blanco, who landed last month’s Irish Derby at the Curragh, is set to renew rivalry with Workforce in the King George, having beaten the subsequent Epsom Derby hero in May’s Dante Stakes at York.
The star three-year-olds are among eight remaining in the prestigious mile-and-a-half, and while much of the pre-race focus is likely to be on the odds-on Workforce and his older stable companion, Harbinger, hopes are high at Ballydoyle that Cape Blanco can secure O’Brien a fourth King George.
“We’ve been happy with Cape Blanco since the Curragh and it will be interesting to see how he gets on against Workforce again,” the trainer said yesterday.“At First Sight is in the race too, but he is only a possible, not a definite.”
Johnny Murtagh’s six-day suspension which he picked up on Starspangledbanner in the July Cup means the coveted ride on Cape Blanco is up for grabs, but O’Brien indicated it will be tomorrow at the earliest before arrangements are firmed up.
Galileo (2001), Dylan Thomas (2007) and Duke Of Marmalade (2008) are O’Brien’s King George winners, but Newmarket trainer Michael Stoute is pursuing a fifth victory and will be heavily favoured with Harbinger backing up Workforce.
But the Epsom winner has been installed a 4 to 5 favourite by many firms. Harbinger is a 5 to 2 second best with Power, while Cape Blanco is a 6 to 1 third best.
The older-horse brigade will also be represented by the triple-Arc runner-up Youmzain and the star fillies Dar Re Mi and Darayakana, the French star who was a Group One winner in Hong Kong last December.
Murtagh will also miss the first two days of next week’s Goodwood festival, which leaves the ride on Rip Van Winkle in the Sussex Stakes available.
“The plan is for Rip to run in the Sussex,” O’Brien added. “I don’t think we will have too many other runners at Goodwood, although it is possible Age Of Aquarius will run in the two-mile race (Goodwood Cup).”
In other flat race news, Kevin Prendergast has confirmed Sunday’s eight-length Anglesey Stakes winner Dunboyne Express will have his next start either in the Phoenix Stakes over six furlongs or the National Stakes over seven.
“He won well but whether the opposition was up to standard I don’t know. Anyway, you can’t do more than win,” Prendergast said.
The unbeaten Dunboyne Express is as low as 14 to 1 for next year’s 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on the back of his defeat of Samuel Morse in that Group Three.
Godolphin have pledged not to run Hibaayeb on soft ground again after her dismal display when last in Sunday’s Darley Irish Oaks.
Hibaayeb started favourite for the classic, but spokesman Simon Crisford said: “Frankie (Dettori) said he knew after a hundred yards he was going nowhere, so he looked after her.”
At Ballinrobe this evening the ex-Ballydoyle horse Hail Caesar has the third start of his life over hurdles in the opener, and the son of Montjeu can strip sharper than for his comeback effort at Bellewstown a fortnight ago.
Impersonator beat Shopfrontspecialist at Tipperary on Sunday and makes a quick reappearance under a 6lb penalty in the second two-mile handicap hurdle, while last week’s Killarney winner Jack Cool can also defy a penalty in the first handicap.
Waterloo Chateau is top-rated in the novice hurdle, but Noel Meade’s Roscommon winner may not appreciate softened ground as much as Sligo runner-up Vivaldi.
