RACING:ST NICHOLAS Abbey continues to figure towards the top of the betting for Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot although jockey arrangements for Aidan O'Brien's star remain unclear.
Ryan Moore has partnered the 2009 champion European juvenile in his last two starts, including a dramatic success in last month’s Coronation Cup at Epsom.
However, Workforce was one of seven left in the King George after yesterday’s forfeit stage and with ground conditions “good” at Ascot yesterday, plus an unsettled forecast for the rest of the week, it looks like Michael Stoute’s Derby and Arc hero will line up with Moore on board.
Workforce was backed into 7 to 4 joint-favouritism with St Nicholas Abbey afterwards.
Godolphin’s Rewilding, conqueror of So You Think in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, is set to start alongside his stable companion Debussy, while John Gosden’s King Edward VII Stakes winner Nathaniel was supplemented into the race yesterday at a cost of €85,000.
Aidan O’Brien also left the Irish Derby and Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Seville in the race but St Nicholas Abbey is the unquestioned Ballydoyle number one.
Séamie Heffernan stepped up to the mark on So You Think in the Eclipse when Moore was claimed for Workforce and could be in line for another big-race opportunity in what is turning into a vintage season for the 39-year-old jockey.
Heffernan was on board St Nicholas Abbey in his first start of 2011 when a lacklustre third to Unaccompanied in April’s Alleged Stakes at the Curragh.
He has done the steering on three of O’Brien’s nine Group One victories so far this season, with Misty For Me doubling up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Pretty Polly Stakes.
Misty For Me looks like being aimed for next week’s Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and has been installed a 6 to 4 favourite for the race by Ladbrokes despite the likely presence of Snow Fairy and Banimpire in the race.
Jim Bolger yesterday nominated the Nassau, a race he landed with Alexander Goldrun in 2005, as a possible target for the busy Banimpire, who was beaten just a short head by Blue Bunting in Sunday’s Group One Irish Oaks at the Curragh.
The Real Article has been raised 18lb from a mark of 127 to 145 after his narrow defeat to Captain Cee Bee at Tipperary on Sunday but won’t have to race off his new mark in Thursday week’s Guinness Galway Hurdle.
Edward O’Grady’s horse is as low as 5 to 1 favourite for the big festival showpiece following the weekend event which saw The Real Article fail by just a short head to overhaul Captain Cee Bee.
The latter is a possible starter in the big hurdle and the Plate at Galway but trainer Eddie Harty is not rushing a decision on which race the former Cheltenham hero will line up in.
“He might be 10, but he proved all his ability is still there. The decision now is which race to run him in. It’s not a call we’ll make today, it’s a tough decision but a nice one to have to make.
“He does look well handicapped over hurdles and that’s because he hasn’t run over them for so long. It’s a balancing act, and I hope we balance it right,” Harty said yesterday.
In A Nutshell can kick things off on a successful note for punters at Ballinrobe’s all-National Hunt card this evening when lining up for the four-year-old maiden hurdle.
Charles Byrnes’ horse has been knocking on the door, most recently when a beaten odds-on favourite at Sligo behind Miss Accurate.
Sicilian Secret will be a popular choice to continue Willie Mullins’s recent run of form but ground conditions may have gone against him and the Sligo winner Some Say could be a value alternative.
Seader is another that wouldn’t be winning out of turn and Jessica Harrington looks to have found him a good opportunity in the second maiden hurdle.
KING GEORGE V1 BETTING (Paddy Power): 7-4 St Nicholas Abbey and Workforce, 11-4 Rewilding, 10 Nathaniel, 16 Midday and Seville, 100 Debussy.
