Sir Busker team thrilled with Dubai effort

Royal Ascot now beckons.

Sir Busker has the Queen Anne Stakes as his main objective in the first half of the season after picking up valuable prize money in Dubai on Saturday.

The six-year-old was third in the Group One at Royal Ascot over the straight mile last summer and connections are looking to go to the Berkshire track once more, where he has a good record.

The Sir Prancealot gelding, trained by William Knight, showed he was in good heart when staying on well to finish fifth in the Dubai Turf over nine furlongs on his third run at Meydan this year.

“We were over the moon with him – $150,000 dollars for fifth is incredible,” said Sam Hoskins, racing manager for owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds.

“It was just amazing. They went so quick and coming into the home straight he was last and we felt they were coming back but the Japanese horse (Panthalassa) must be a machine because he was the one that made the running and how he kept that pace up I’ll never know.

“We were delighted. He had to go round one horse or he’d have been fourth. It opens up lots of options and interesting ideas for the future.

“He is going to be entered in the Lockinge, but he might instead go to the Paradise Stakes at Ascot. Hopefully, he’ll have a really good chance of winning that and then go to the Queen Anne.

“We know the stiff mile at Ascot suits him. That will be the main target for the first half of the season.”

After that, Sir Busker could step up to a mile and a quarter with the Juddmonte International at York in August already being considered.

“Then he’ll maybe go up in trip to 10 furlongs. The Juddmonte International is definitely on the radar,” Hoskins went on.

“It will be pretty hard for him to win a race like that but they’ll probably go quick and they’ll probably have pacemakers in there. We’ll be looking to go abroad as well. We’ll try to run him where the prize money is good.”

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