'He's had a good winter' - Slipofthepen out to write Classic script for the King at Kempton

The winter wraps come off the King’s Classic hopeful Slipofthepen in the Join Racing TV Now Conditions Stakes (3.30) at Kempton, where he faces four opponents in his bid to make it two wins from two starts.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Night Of Thunder made a big impression on his sole juvenile outing over course and distance last November when he cut through the fog to score by five and a half lengths under James Doyle, who is on board again here.

Slipofthepen is a general 25-1 chance for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6, the day of the King’s coronation at Westminster Abbey, and 20-1 for the Derby at Epsom on June 3.

John Gosden said: “He's had a good winter but this is the first opportunity to run him this year. He’s short on experience having had only one run and this will tell us a bit more about him and what trip he wants going forward.”

The mile race was won a year ago by subsequent German 2,000 Guineas winner Maljoom and was plundered by Group 1 winners such as Elmaamul when it was run on turf in the 1990s.

Gosden added: “We like this race, which was known as the Easter Stakes, and it’s a good starting point for the season.”

Marco Botti fields Legend Of Leros, who was fourth on his debut and then won at Doncaster in October.

The Newmarket trainer said: “We’re taking on a nice one of the King’s but Legend Of Leros deserves to take his chance and has been working nicely on the all-weather surfaces at home lately.”

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