Stott faith in King Of Steel ahead of King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes
King Of Steel was sent off at an unconsidered 66/1 for the Derby on just his third start but ran a huge race to finish just half a length behind Auguste Rodin.
The imposing grey son of Wootton Bassett looked the winner at the two-furlong pole but was eventually collared by the Aidan O’Brien-trained challenger.
Jockey Kevin Stott was visibly disappointed after King Of Steel’s Derby defeat, feeling he could have won had he timed his challenge differently, but having had time to reflect, he is more accepting of how the race panned out.
“I still look at the replay now and again from the Derby and go over it again and again," he said.
"I’ve got to the stage now where I wouldn’t change anything that I did, we just got run down by the better horse on the day. I had no pressure on me, I was just riding him to run well, to see what we had, to see if the home work was backing up in a race.
“Between the two and the three (furlong) pole I was in front by two and a bit lengths and the next thing you know I was screaming for the finish line."
Stott retains full faith in King Of Steel ahead of their rematch with Auguste Rodin but is well aware that the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes is far from a two-horse race.
"Unfortunately we just got run down by a very good horse on the day, hopefully we can turn the form around but we have to, first of all, beat some other very good horses in the race," he continued.
“First and second in the Derby going at it again for the first time since the Derby is obviously a massive thing for everyone.
“It’s not just a race between the two three-year-olds, but I like to think that if it does come down to a battle again from the furlong pole, then hopefully our fella will pull it out.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in the horse, but then again Aidan O’Brien is the master of the world that we live in and even though Auguste Rodin’s win in the Irish Derby wasn’t as visually flattering as the English Derby, he is probably one of the nicest horses that Aidan has trained.”
Auguste Rodin went on to win the Irish Derby with a rather more laboured performance, whereas King Of Steel was imperious at the Royal meeting when making the most of the drop in grade with a three-and-a-half-length win in the King Edward VII Stakes.
As a result their clash is much anticipated but the two rivals are not the only big names in a stellar line up for Saturday’s Group One.
Last year’s hero and subsequent Hardwicke Stakes winner Pyledriver will line up, as will 2022 Derby victor Desert Crown – who is set to be ridden by William Buick – and his Brigadier Gerard conqueror Hukum.
Much of the conversation revolves around the clash between this year’s Derby one-two and though Stott is hopeful he can reverse the form, he still holds great respect for the other contenders.
“It’s probably the Flat race of the season so far, you’ve got all the best horses in there – proven ones and upcoming ones,” he said.
“If it’s a 12 or 15-runner field then it’s going to be really, really exciting. There’s not long left now, he did a nice piece of work this morning and it’s all systems go.
“It’s by no means a two-horse race. There are some very high quality horses in there and especially if we are going to have ease in the ground, there are a lot of horses with very good form on slower ground.
“You don’t know when you have so many good horses pitched against each other, it’s exciting and it’s very open. Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel are getting a bit of weight from the other horses as they are only three and the others are older and more experienced.”
The final field for the race has yet to take shape and Stott is avoiding getting too attached to fixed tactical plans as the declarations and the going could change the complexion of the contest.
“You can sit down and analyse it and you’ve got plan A and plan B, but within a second that can just disappear and within a second you can have to go for plan F,” he said,
“You go through it all the time, you’re thinking about what’s going to happen and sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
“Just to be part of a race like this and to ride a horse of this calibre is very exciting.”
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