Champions Day big guns warm up for Ascot with King Of Steel picking up pace ahead of Champion Stakes
Over 30mm of rain that fell on Friday afternoon and evening scuppered Roger Varian’s plans to work his Champion Stakes hope King Of Steel on the grass gallops on Saturday morning. Instead, Frankie Dettori was seen at the head of affairs on the Al Bahathri Polytrack at 7.10am where he hit the mile pole strong in his workout with a senior lead horse.
Dettori has already said that the son of Wootton Bassett will be his final ride on the card and possibly Britain at Ascot next Saturday.
Racecourse gallop
Before racing at Newmarket on Friday afternoon, the Rowley Mile hosted its final racecourse gallop of the season when William Haggas had first go on the fresh stands side track with his Champion Stakes entries Dubai Honour (Tom Marquand) and My Prospero (Michael Hills) with lead horse Irish Emerald (Greg Cheyne) over just shy of a mile.
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