Qatar King George Stakes |
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| Group 2, Goodwood 15:35 £300,000 added, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 1  |
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| Friday 3rd August 2018 | |
Last year's winner, the Charlie Hills-trained Battaash, features among 25 remaining entries (up from 24 in 2017) for the 2018 G2 King George Qatar Stakes. The five-furlong contest is the highlight of day four of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Friday, August 3 and boasts a £300,000 prize fund.
Battaash registered an impressive success in the 2017 renewal of the G2 King George Qatar Stakes, scoring by two and a quarter-lengths under Jim Crowley. He ended 2017 as the highest-rated five-furlong performer in the world after a spectacular victory in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp.
The four-year-old son of Dark Angel, who finished creditable second to Godolphin's Blue Point in the G1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19, is aiming to be the eighth dual winner of the Goodwood sprint.
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The evergreen 11-year-old remains in good heart, recording Listed victories at Beverley and Dundalk, plus taking a G3 contest at Newbury at the backend of last season, after finishing fourth to Battaash in the 2017 renewal of the King George Qatar Stakes.
The son of Singspiel was a creditable third under top-weight in a conditions event at Beverley on June 19 and next heads to York for the City Walls Stakes at York (July 14), a contest he won in 2014 and 2017.
Griffiths, based at Martin Hall Farm in Bawtry, revealed: "Take Cover is in fine fettle and has come out of his latest race at Beverley in good form.
"He was third that day, but he was giving an awful lot of weight away to his rivals, so all in all, we were pleased with the performance.
"He will now head back to the City Walls Stakes, a race he is bidding to win for the third time, before heading to Goodwood again for the King George Qatar Stakes.
"I think he likes Goodwood because it is a quick track. He likes the undulations of the course and just seems well suited to the track in general - he loves going down that hill.
"Goodwood is one of the quickest five furlongs in the country and he relishes the track.
"He still seems to love the game at the age of 11. He won three Listed races and a G3 event last season and has been a stable star throughout his career.
"Take Cover is a pleasure to have in the yard and it would be special if he were to win the King George Qatar Stakes for a third time."
Griffiths could also saddle 2013 Dash winner Duke Of Firenze, who finished a creditable sixth in this year's renewal of the five-furlong handicap at Epsom Downs.
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The nine-year-old son of Pivotal heads to the Curragh this Saturday, June 30, for the Tote Rockingham Handicap over five furlongs, but the King George Qatar Stakes is also under consideration for the gelding.
Griffiths remarked: "Duke Of Firenze ran well in the Dash at Epsom and it a completely different horse to Take Cover in many ways.
"He was seventh in the Temple Stakes at Haydock behind Battaash, but the ground was a bit too quick for him on that occasion as he would like some cut.
"He runs at the Curragh on Saturday and we're hopeful of a good performance. They do a great job with the track out there and hopefully conditions will suit.
"If the ground isn't too quick, he would have a good chance in the race.
"We have entered him in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood and we may well take up that option.
"We will see how he is after the Curragh and how he gets on, but it's a race we wanted to enter him in and we'll think strongly about running."
Aidan O'Brien, Britain and Ireland's champion trainer, has made 10 entries, headed by G1 the King's Stand Stakes sixth and eighth, Different League and Washington DC, as well as unexposed three-year-olds Murillo and Dali, with the latter having recorded a comfortable two-length victory in Listed company at Naas on June 18.
Havana Grey (Karl Burke) tasted success at the 2017 Qatar Goodwood Festival when winning the G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes, also over five furlongs. Havana Grey finished sixth to Battaash in the G2 Temple Stakes on his latest outing.
2015 King George Qatar Stakes winner Muthmir (William Haggas) returned to the winner's enclosure when relishing the step into Listed company in the Achilles Stakes at Haydock on June 9, whilst speedball Kachy (Tom Dascombe), third to Battaash in the Temple Stakes at Haydock in May, is also entered for the King George Qatar Stakes.
The unexposed Equilateral, a disappointing 12th in the G1 Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs at the Royal Meeting, could join stable companion Battaash in the line-up, whilst Dreamfield (John Gosden), narrowly touched off when the 2/1 favourite for the ultra-competitive six-furlong Wokingham Handicap, also features among the entries for the five-furlong G2 contest.
Betfred King George Stakes (Group 2)
£300,000 added, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 1
25 remaining entries
Six-day confirmations and £15,000 supplementary stage July 28, final declarations 10am August 1.
Horse |
Age |
Owner |
Trainer |
A MOMENTOFMADNESS |
5 |
Tony Wechsler & Ann Plummer |
Charles Hills |
ACTRESS (IRE) |
3 |
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
BATTAASH (IRE) |
4 |
Hamdan Al Maktoum |
Charles Hills |
BATTLE OF JERICHO (USA) |
3 |
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
DALI (USA) |
3 |
Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
DECLARATIONOFPEACE (USA) |
3 |
Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
DIFFERENT LEAGUE (FR) |
3 |
P Brant/Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
DREAMFIELD |
4 |
Godolphin |
John Gosden |
DUKE OF FIRENZE |
9 |
Adlam,Damary-Thompson,Wilson,Griffiths |
David Griffiths |
EQUILATERAL |
3 |
Khalid Abdullah |
Charles Hills |
FLEET REVIEW (USA) |
3 |
Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
GORANE (IRE) |
4 |
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd |
Henry de Bromhead IRE |
HAVANA GREY |
3 |
Global Racing Club & Mrs E Burke |
Karl Burke |
HEARTACHE |
3 |
Hot To Trot Racing |
Clive Cox |
INTELLIGENCE CROSS (USA) |
4 |
Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
KACHY |
5 |
David Lowe |
Tom Dascombe |
KYLLANG ROCK (IRE) |
4 |
Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum |
James Tate |
MAIN DESIRE (IRE) |
3 |
Clipper Logistics |
Michael Bell |
MURILLO (USA) |
3 |
Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
MUTHMIR (IRE) |
8 |
Hamdan Al Maktoum |
William Haggas |
SIOUX NATION (USA) |
3 |
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
SOLDIER'S MINUTE |
3 |
Weldspec Glasgow Limited |
Keith Dalgleish |
STONE OF DESTINY |
3 |
King Power Racing Co Ltd |
Andrew Balding |
TAKE COVER |
11 |
Norcroft Park Stud |
David Griffiths |
WASHINGTON DC (IRE) |
5 |
Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith |
Aidan O'Brien IRE |
