Cazoo Derby winner in memory of Lester Piggott (G1) Desert Crown rematch with Westover in King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot was questioned after the foal trained by Sir Michael Stoute was revealed to have encountered a failure.
Owner Saeed Suhail’s foal was due for work on Thursday morning but that crucial gallop has been postponed.
Bruce Raymond, Suhail’s track manager, said on Wednesday: “It’s in the foot, not the joint nor the tendon, so hopefully it’s not too bad.
“I think if it was a smaller horse we’d leave him in the box, but for who he is, they’re being extra cautious and will be checking on him tomorrow and scanning his legs.
“In my opinion, he’s well enough to be away for a few days. I don’t know what Michael (Stoute) thinks about that but he’s a very strong horse, although he won’t be. wanted to miss too much and he wanted to make sure to work on Saturday.”
The Desert Crown gave Stoute his sixth Derby win in emphatic style at Epsom in June, when Westover finished an unlucky third, and crossed a crack in the Irish equivalent to wait. Ascot.
All was looking good as recently as last Saturday when Richard Kingscote rode the pony undefeated in a production on the Cambridge Road Polytrack, where he worked a mile with his lead horse. Hard Rock .
