King Of Steel given go-ahead for Breeders' Cup Turf mission with Frankie Dettori to ride again

King Of Steel has been given the green light for a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Saturday week despite it coming just 14 days after his triumph in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, with Frankie Dettori to continue the winning partnership.

According to trainer Roger Varian, the strapping grey has taken the exertions of his last-to-first showstopping display that day in his stride and is to ship out to California on Saturday.

Despite not being in love with the soft ground at Ascot, King Of Steel showed his class when overpowering Via Sistina by three-quarters of a length with French runner Horizon Dore a further two lengths away.  

Varian said: “We’re planning to go to the Breeders’ Cup with King Of Steel. It’s a tight turnaround but he’s come out of his Ascot race really well and ships out tomorrow.”

King Of Steel is 6-1 third favourite with William Hill for the Breeders’ Cup Turf and is also entered in the Classic for which he is a 25-1 chance with the same firm.

Roger Varian (left): "If he did not look so well post-Ascot we wouldn’t be entertaining going out there"Credit: Mark Cranham

His trainer added: “He’s entered in two races out there but will run in the Turf. He’s shown us all the signs that he’s come out of his race in good order. He’s only had five races this year and they’ve been nicely spaced out and if he did not look so well post-Ascot we wouldn’t be entertaining going out there.”

A mile and a half on fast ground around a sharp track will provide a different test to Ascot, but connections are confident King Of Steel can cope.

Varian added: “It will be different ground out there but he’s versatile in that regard and Frankie felt that he really didn’t enjoy the ground at Ascot. He’s shown very good form on fast ground on which he nearly won a Derby and did win the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. That day, he beat Continuous by four or five lengths and he’s turned out to be a good horse. He's an agile, well balanced horse and should be suited by the sharper test which Santa Anita will provide.”

Dettori ended his British career in memorable fashion at Ascot and he will be hoping to carry on in the same fashion on November 4 following his move to the US.  

Varian said: “Frankie will ride him again and the owner [Kia Joorabchian] is a keen supporter of American racing. He loves a runner at the Breeders’ Cup and I think he’s planning to have two or three over there.”

On his past record in California, Varian added: “Our Breeders’ Cup runners at Santa Anita in the past have knocked on the door pretty hard and you could say were due a change of luck. We were second in the Fillies & Mares Turf with Nahrain in 2011 and we were also runners up in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Daahyeh in 2019.”

Breeders' Cup Turf (November 4, Santa Anita)

bet365: 5-2 Auguste Rodin, 3 Mostahdaf, 13-2 King Of Steel, 7 Onesto, 8 Up To The Mark, 12 Shahryar, War Like Goddess, 16 Bolshoi Ballet, 25 bar

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