No Coronation Classic bid for Slipofthepen

PA Sport Reporters
May 1, 2023 12:19 pm

Possibility of Royal Ascot bid on the cards.

Slipofthepen could be rerouted to the French 2000 Guineas after connections decided against a bid for Classic glory at Newmarket this weekend.

Two impressive all-weather wins at Kempton from John and Thady Gosden’s promising colt raised the exciting prospect that the three-year-old could give the King and the Queen Consort a runner in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on the ruling monarch’s Coronation Day.

Slipofthepen enjoyed a racecourse gallop on the Rowley Mile last week, but was not left in the first Classic of the season at Monday’s confirmation stage, with the team opting for a more patient approach.

Slipofthepen galloping at Newmarket (The Jockey Club/John Hoy/Megan Ridgwell)

Speaking on Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast, the King’s racing manager John Warren said: “I think we were all hoping for that to be the case (that Slipofthepen would run in the 2000 Guineas), especially because it would have been both the King and the Queen Consort’s first Classic runner.

“But I think once we pieced all the jigsaw together and really analysed his prospects, I think we thought it’s come a little bit too soon. He’s an inexperienced horse who is only just learning how to use his legs as fast as he needs to.

“He’s won two races on the all-weather impressively and John Gosden thinks he’s up to becoming a high-class performer, (but) when we added it all together we felt it would be kinder to the horse to give him a little bit more experience.”

Slipofthepen could run at Royal Ascot for owner King Charles III (Molly Darlington/PA)

Whether Slipofthepen heads for ParisLongchamp or not, his main target is to run in front of his owners at Royal Ascot next month.

Warren added: “He’ll do some important racecourse gallops and because he’s held in high regard, there’s a possibility that we will not discount looking at the French Guineas.

“It’s early days to be firm on the plan, but here we are two weeks out from that and that’s what we’re looking at, and if we don’t make it there is the Heron Stakes at Sandown a few days later with the objective that all roads lead to Ascot, which would be great.

“We’re hoping the King and the Queen Consort will be able to attend racing that week, so it would be tremendous to give them a few runners.”