'The way he worked means we'll go' - Balmoral target for Teal's Kenzai Warrior

An encouraging display on the Lambourn gallops on Saturday morning has convinced connections of one-time Classic hope Kenzai Warrior to have a crack at the £200,000 Balmoral Handicap on Qipco Champions Day.

Owned by Rae and Coral Borras and trained by Roger Teal, Kenzai Warrior was a smart juvenile who won the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes and then finished down the field in Kameko's 2,000 Guineas on his reappearance last year.

He was pulled up on his first start of 2021 at Newbury in the spring but sprang a 20-1 shock at Kempton recently and is in line for Ascot on Saturday after thrilling Teal on the gallops.

"The way he worked this morning means we'll go," the trainer said. "We just wanted to see how he came out of Kempton as it's not too far apart from Ascot and we wanted to keep him fresh, but he's gone nicely this morning."

Explaining what had led to the four-year-old's below-par form, Teal added: "He had what they call pressure on the inner bone and had a small operation to release a bit of that pressure.

"We couldn't put our finger on what was wrong. We had his knees and joints x-rayed and everything was fine. We had him scanned and there was nothing. He was never lame, but just lugged and hung in his work and was obviously feeling something at full pressure when he ran.

"He was backing off and the jockeys thought he felt wrong, but he pulled up sound every time, so we decided to have a bone scan, which found the problem.

"I'd never heard of it before but apparently it's not as rare as you'd think."

Kenzai Warrior comes back to winning form under Jack Mitchell at KemptonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Last month's victory over a mile for the rejuvenated gelding, who was ridden by Jack Mitchell, was not such a surprise to those closest to him.

"Going to Kempton, he'd been working much more comfortably at home and we'd taken him there for a racecourse gallop a few weeks before," Teal revealed.

"We didn't go mad, just a confidence booster and let him go round in a strong canter on the bridle, so he went by the post on the bridle. It seemed to do the trick. I told Jack to ride him with patience in the race and get him to pass horses, which he did."

Kenzai Warrior is a general 33-1 to follow up in the Balmoral and Teal said: "He won twice over a straight track as a two-year-old, so a straight mile isn't going to be a bother and if it comes up soft, happy days. I wouldn't be worried about the ground if it's soft because he likes to get his toe in."

Teal, who won the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June with now sidelined stable star Oxted, has enjoyed his finest campaign in terms of prize-money and winners since taking out a licence in 2007.

He said: "It's been our best season ever. We've had a Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot and it would be the icing on the cake if we get Kenzai Warrior in the winner's enclosure there.

"He's always put a smile on my face in the mornings and Kempton was a massive confidence booster for him and everyone at home, so hopefully he can build on it."

Read more on Champions Day:

Mishriff and Egan shine through the mist in build-up to Qipco Champion Stakes

Returning Nugget lowers track record to set up Champions Day tilt

Arc calendar move would benefit Champions Day says Ascot chief

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