英皇鑽石錦標新聞專貼（最新消息：Hurricane Run順利勝出！）
THE concern that Hurricane Run will be racing not resting on Saturday was on Monday identified by Andre Fabre as his "worry" ahead of the world champion racehorse's assault on this weekend's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.
Emphasising that the decision to run at Ascot was his and that he will blame himself should the Coolmore colt be beaten, Fabre expressed unease that Hurricane Run was being campaigned in high summer, a policy he has previously almost always rejected with his middle-distance stars.
Fabre wasspeaking on the day that eight horses were left in Britain's premier all-aged Flat race, Ouija Board being the most notable absentee from a contest that will also feature Japanese star Heart's Cry and Dubai World Cup winner Electrocutionist.
However,with Godolphin due to run only one of Electrocutionist's two possible pacemakers, a maximum field of seven - the joint-smallest since 1970 - is set to go to post.
With Hurricane Run's regular rider Kieren Fallon certain to be absent from Ascot unlesssuccessful in his Thursday High Court appeal against a ban on riding in Britain, Fabre is expected to decide on Tuesday on a substitute partner for last season's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner.
However, it was not the unavailability of Fallon that was troubling Fabre, who on Saturday will be having his first King George runner in 11 years and only the fifth of his career.
"My little worry is that this will be the first time he has run in the summer," said Fabre.
"It's quite unusual for me torun a horse like Hurricane Run at this time of the year, but I made his programme this year around the King George so if he is beaten I can only blame myself.
"The King George is one of the biggest races in the world and he has already won the Arc, soI wanted to run him at Ascot, but he is proven on soft and heavy, so I would prefer some rain before the race."
Asked if Hurricane Run, a beaten 2-9 favourite on his last run in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, was now back to his Arc-winning form, Fabre added: "I guess so, but this is a different race with different competition, and he also has to travel, which he did not have to do before the Arc.
"The horse is fine and I'm pleased with him. He's ready for the race and will just have a canter by himself tomorrow. There is no decision yet about a jockey but I will be speaking with the owners and then a decision will be made tomorrow."
Fabre saddled three seconds at Chantilly on Monday, 24 hours after a day when three fancied horses trained by him and owned by Khalid Abdullah were all soundly beaten in Group races at Maisons-Laffitte.
However, Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe expressed confidence in the health of Fabre's string, and said: "We had a two-year-old from the stable run really well at Chantilly yesterday, so from that angle I'd say there isn't a problem. It's only a week since Andre won a Group 1 and Group 2 on consecutive days so you could hardly say the stable is out of form."
Hurricane Run's chief market rival Electrocutionist will have the services of a pacemaker on Saturday, but connections have revealed that only one of Cherry Mix and Belenus will run.
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: "It's likely that we'll run a pacemaker, and it's more than likely that it will be Cherry Mix. It's still a few days off the race so we've put two potential pacemakers in the race but only one will take his chance."
As expected, Mark Johnston confirmed Princess Of Wales's Stakes winner Soapy Danger with the Newmarket third Enforcer and Hardwicke Stakes victor Maraahel completing the field.
Explaining why Ouija Board had not been supplemented at a cost of ?0,000 owner Lord Derby's brother Peter Stanley said: "The plan was always the Nassau and to just look at the King George on the way.
"It makes sense. If something had dropped out of the King George then it would have been tempting but the top three or four in the betting look pretty solid, so we are very happy to be going for the Nassau."
By Racing Post | |
