Last year's Stewards' Cup hero Get It given King George option as Almeraq is ruled out of big Goodwood handicap

Last year's Stewards' Cup winner could be rerouted from retaining his crown pending the weather, with Get It among 17 confirmations for Friday's Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. 

However, William Haggas has warned punters that red-hot ante-post favourite Almeraq won't be making a quick reappearance in the Coral-sponsored Stewards' Cup after his five-length stroll at Ayr on Monday. 

Get It made all in an explosive performance to land the valuable sprint handicap at 40-1 last year and adopted similar trailblazing tactics to win the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

That form has since been boosted by the runner-up More Thunder, who landed the Bunbury Cup in another nailbiting finish next time, and Get It has been notched up to a career-high rating of 104 by the handicapper.

While the hope is George Baker's seven-year-old will be able to take his chance in Saturday's showpiece off a 6lb higher mark than last year, there is also the possibility he could return to stakes company in Britain for the first time since 2020, when he finished fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes for Clive Cox.

"I saw that the long-range forecast was for a lot of rain through Friday and into Saturday," Baker said. "He likes the top of the ground, so after speaking to the owners, we've decided to give him a [King George] entry in case. 

"The Stewards' Cup is the plan, but I'd run on Friday if it was going to be soft on Saturday and good on Friday.

"We'll know more in the week, but hopefully the rain stays away until Saturday afternoon. If the weather gods decree that we have to run him on Friday, I wouldn't be scared of running him over five furlongs in that company. As we know, these sprint races can throw up some interesting results."

George Baker and Get It: "I wouldn't be scared of running him over five furlongs in that company. As we know, these sprint races can throw up some interesting results"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Although the July Cup winner No Half Measures was taken out of the race, Get It's potential rivals in the King George include last year's second Asfoora as well as the Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals. 

Khaadem, the winner of the 2023 and 2024 runnings of the QEII Jubilee Stakes, was supplemented into the race for £20,000 by Charlie Hills, who has already booked Ryan Moore for the ride. The nine-year-old was last seen finishing sixth to Rage Of Bamby in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

On the prospect of dropping Get It down in trip in hot company, Baker added: "Everybody who rides him says the reason why six furlongs suits him so well is because he has an extraordinary start, which gives him four or five lengths on the field, and then he comes back under you for a couple of furlongs and you can ride a race. 

"When he was in front in the Wokingham, I knew he'd have another kick in him. I have no qualms about trying him over five again because he has form over the trip in Bahrain and he can certainly do it, but six plays absolutely to his strengths and he might not be uncontested over five."

Haggas and Shadwell could still be represented in the Stewards' Cup after the trainer indicated he would leave Saturday's Sky Bet Dash winner Elmonjed in the race at the confirmation stage. But on the prospect of Almeraq bidding to follow up his impressive win at Ayr, Haggas said: "He won’t run. He’s fine but it’s just too quick." 

King George Qatar Stakes (Goodwood, August 1)
Sky Bet: 7-4 Asfoora, 5 Big Mojo, 11-2 Time For Sandals, 6 Frost At Dawn, 8 She's Quality, Night Raider, 14 Kerdos, 16 Get It, 20s bar.

Coral Stewards' Cup, (Goodwood, August 2)
Coral: 3 Almeraq, 10 Elmonjed, Aramram, Get It, 12 Billyjoh, Hammer The Hammer, Holkham Bay, 14 Completely Random, Double Rush, Purosangue, Ten Pounds, 16s bar.

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