Beckett ‘Happy’ With Westover Ahead Of King George

Last month's G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is pleasing trainer Ralph Beckett in advance of his next start in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. on Saturday. The field for the Ascot prize is high on quality, with the G1 Oaks second Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), also signed on for the 3-year-old brigade. The 2021 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), as well as fellow Group 1 winners Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) have lined up, as well.

“He's trained well since, we've been happy with him and he looks like he's ready to go,” Beckett told TalkSPORT2 of his charge, who will be ridden once again by Colin Keane.

“Races like this are what we all do it for, days like Saturday, they don't come around too often so you've got to make the most of them.

“Juddmonte have an agreement with Colin Keane to ride their horses when he's available. This is just an extension of that.

“We don't have a stable jockey, we have three jockeys who ride for us regularly but if an owner wants someone else that is their prerogative and all concerned understand that.

“Colin obviously knows the horse now and in that sense it is pretty straightforward.

“It was great for Rob [Hornby] to win the [G1] Falmouth [S. on Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire})], he's been coming here once or twice a week for the last three years and that has been a very happy arrangement and we've had plenty of luck, that was a second Group 1 inside nine months.”

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Torquator Tasso and Westover to Clash in King George 

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) is among the six five-day confirmations for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot on Saturday, along with Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

The 5-year-old German raider was given the green light after a gallop on Monday morning at Mulheim, where he is trained by Marcel Weiss for owner Gestut Auenquelle. He bids to emulate compatriots Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) and Novellist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who won Britain's premier weight-for-age race in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Torquator Tasso, the easy winner of the G2 Hansa-Preis at Hamburg on his most recent outing on July 2, worked over 11 furlongs with his regular jockey Rene Piechulek, with Weiss declaring that he was “very happy” with the horse's final serious prep for Saturday.

“It was a very important piece of work and it gives me a lot of confidence because I saw the horse like he was last year and he's getting better and better through the season,” said the trainer. 

“After the Arc we worked out a plan for this year and it was a wish of the owner to go to Ascot before going back to the Arc. Danedream also won the Arc and then the King George for Germany, which tells you that you can try to do it and you can win.”

With record temperatures in England in the early part of this week and only the odd shower of rain possible at Ascot prior to Saturday the ground is unlikely to be too different from its current status of good to firm, good in places.

Weiss added, “The ground will not be a problem; Ascot is a very nice track and it is kept in good condition, especially for the quality horses this weekend.

“At Hamburg he won on fast ground. He's just maybe a bit better when the ground is softer, but he can go on every ground.”

Completing a classy field for the weekend's feature race are the Group 1 winners Broome (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}).

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Five Face Love in The King George

Aidan O'Brien cut his team for the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. to two on Thursday, with last year's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks and June 16 G1 Prince of Wales's S. heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) joined only by the July 4 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Wayne Lordan takes the ride on the latter, who currently trades as the outsider of the six-strong field to underline the quality of Saturday's renewal. It will be likely stripped of Christopher Wright's G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) if the forecast thunderstorms fail to provide sufficient rain, but David Menuisier is playing a waiting game by confirming her for the prestige affair.

“There are thunderstorms forecast and a good chance of heavy showers,” Menuisier told the Racing Post. “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. If it doesn't rain, we'll come home and enjoy the drive back.”

William Haggas believes the rain will not come in the kind of quantity required for his stable star Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and opted to take him out at the final stage, while Prince Faisal's Mar. 27 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) makes up the older contingent. The two 3-year-olds are Godolphin's June 5 G1 Epsom Derby hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's June 26 G1 Irish Derby runner-up Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who receive eight pounds weight-for-age from the 4-year-old fillies and 11 from Broome and Mishriff.

Adayar will be looking to become the first blue riband winner to prevail here since Galileo 20 years ago and trainer Charlie Appleby spoke after his breeze under William Buick at Moulton Paddocks on Thursday morning. “I couldn't be happier with him. It was a straightforward final piece of work and he will go there on Saturday with no excuses,” he said. “It's true that before Epsom, I thought he was shaping more as a St Leger type. He's so straightforward at home, he never stood out in his work but, having said that, we always felt he was very good. On Derby Day, he showed us a turn-of-foot we hadn't seen before and he has sharpened up a lot for that experience.”

“Like everybody else, we've got a huge watching brief on this,” he added. “Everybody's wanting to know how good the 3-year-olds are, particularly at a mile and a half. We would like to see what we are dealing with and I think the King George will provide the answers. Adayar is approaching his biggest challenge in tip-top condition and we are upbeat about accepting the challenge. His prep has been faultless. We have seen him maturing week on week. I believe he is physically stronger than he was at Epsom. When you see him in the paddock on Saturday, he won't look like a 3-year-old against older horses. He looks like an older horse now.”

On Friday, two high-class fillies share centre stage as they make their belated seasonal debuts. In Ascot's G3 British Racecourses Join Sunflower Lanyard Scheme Valiant S., George Strawbridge's 'TDN Rising Star' Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is back in action for the John and Thady Gosden stable while the Niarchos Family's Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) tackles York's Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Lyric Fillies' S. Sticking to the mile trip over which she captured the G2 May Hill S. at Doncaster in September before finishing runner-up in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket the following month, Indigo Girl who is a full-sister to her owner-breeder's Group 1 heroine Journey (GB) is bred to want further in time.

“We had planned to bring Indigo Girl back in May, but she's had a few niggles so we're bringing her back in July,” John Gosden said. “She's been working nicely on the all-weather lately and this looks a nice starting point for her and she may go up in trip later on.”

Indigo Girl is joined by Strawbridge's winter acquisition Elysium (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), who is also making her 2021 bow having last been seen winning The Curragh's G3 Weld Park S. in September. She remains in training with Noel Meade following her purchase and her trainer said,

“She's in good shape. We had kind of a miserable spring, as she got a few little respiratory problems which slowed her down. We struggled to get her right, but we think we're nearly there now and we really hadn't any place to start her in Ireland. Her owner has another runner in it and she's favourite, but that's the way it goes. She will improve for the run I'm sure.”

Also in the Valiant is Cheveley Park Stud's Sir Michael Stoute-trained Lights On (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who scored by 10 lengths in the Listed Pipalong S. over this trip on soft ground at Pontefract July 6.

The stud's managing director Chris Richardson said, “We've been thrilled with her this year. She ran no race at Royal Ascot [when eighth in the Kensington Palace S.] because of the draw really. The ground is going to be different on Friday. A bit of juice in the ground might have been helpful, but it's a logical race and we'll see what happens. John and Thady Gosden's filly was highly thought of last year, but our filly is in good form and has come out of her last race well.”

Alpine Star makes her keenly-anticipated return at York's evening meeting, with the Lyric Fillies' S. over an extended 10 furlongs an ideal slot for the G1 Coronation S.-winning half-sister to Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Last seen splitting Tarnawa  (Ire) (Shamardal) and Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) when runner-up in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix de l'Opera in October, the Jessie Harrington-trained chestnut has no penalty here and anything other than a smooth return win will be a surprise. “It's a nice little start-off for her and then we can plan for the autumn. We've got loads of options,” her trainer commented. “She had a little setback earlier in the year, which is why we didn't get to run her. She doesn't have to carry a penalty and is taking on just fillies, so let's hope all goes well.”

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