Beckett has Westover ‘ready to go’ in King George to savour

Midsummer showpiece has all the makings of an epic.

Races like Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes “do not come around too often”. That is the view of Ralph Beckett, trainer of ante-post favourite Westover.

Beckett will field his Irish Derby winner in a maximum field of six, which also includes narrow Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn, Germany’s Arc hero Torquator Tasso, multi-millionaire Mishriff, Coronation Cup winner in Pyledriver and Aidan O’Brien’s Broome.

It has been a case of a merry-go-round on the jockey front in the lead up to the race with James Doyle replacing David Egan on Mishriff and PJ McDonald getting the call up for Pyledriver. But Colin Keane at least retains the ride on Westover, having himself replaced Rob Hornby at the Curragh.

Much was written and said about the decision by owners Juddmonte to use Ireland’s champion jockey instead of Hornby, who was a fast-finishing third on the colt at Epsom, but the verdict was a seven-length win in the Irish Classic.

“He’s trained well since, we’ve been happy with him and he looks like he’s ready to go,” Beckett told TalkSPORT2.

“Races like this are what we all do it for, days like Saturday, they don’t come around too often so you’ve got to make the most of them.

“Juddmonte have an agreement with Colin Keane to ride their horses when he’s available. This is just an extension of that.

“We don’t have a stable jockey, we have three jockeys who ride for us regularly but if an owner wants someone else that is their prerogative and all concerned understand that.

“Colin obviously knows the horse now and in that sense it is pretty straightforward.

“It was great for Rob to win the Falmouth (on Prosperous Voyage), he’s been coming here once or twice a week for the last three years and that has been a very happy arrangement and we’ve had plenty of luck, that was a second Group One inside nine months.”

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