Stott harbouring healthy respect for Steel’s King George challengers

Derby second faces Epsom conqueror Auguste Rodin in star-studded Ascot highlight.

Kevin Stott has full faith in King Of Steel ahead of his August Rodin rematch but is mindful that the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes is not a two-horse race.

The Roger Varian-trained colt was second under Stott in last month’s Derby, finishing half a length behind Auguste Rodin at huge odds of 66-1.

The grey, who is a strapping son of Wootton Bassett, looked the winner at the two-furlong pole but was eventually collared by the Aidan O’Brien-trained challenger.

Auguste Rodin went on the win the Irish Derby with a rather more laboured performance, whereas King Of Steel was imperious at the Royal meeting when cruising to a three-and-a-half-length win in the King Edward VII Stakes.

As a result the rematch is much anticipated, but the two rivals are not the only big names in a stellar line up for Saturday’s Group One held at Ascot.

King Of Steel and Kevin Stott at Ascot
King Of Steel and Kevin Stott at Ascot (David Davies/PA)

Last year’s hero and subsequent Hardwicke Stakes winner Pyledriver will line up, as will 2022 Derby victor Desert Crown – who is set to be ridden by William Buick – and his Brigadier Gerard conqueror Hukum.

Much of the conversation revolves around the clash between this year’s Derby one-two and though Stott is hopeful he can reverse the form, he is still holds great respect for the other contenders.

“It’s probably the Flat race of the season so far, you’ve got all the best horses in there – proven ones and upcoming ones,” he said.

“If it’s a 12 or 15-runner field then it’s going to be really, really exciting. There’s not long left now, he did a nice piece of work this morning and it’s all systems go.

“It’s by no means a two-horse race. There are some very high quality horses in there and especially if we are going to have ease in the ground, there are a lot of horses with very good form on slower ground.

Auguste Rodin (left) winning the Derby from King Of Steel
Auguste Rodin (left) winning the Derby from King Of Steel (Mike Egerton/PA)

“First and second in the Derby going at it again for the first time since the Derby is obviously a massive thing for everyone.

“You don’t know when you have so many good horses pitched against each other, it’s exciting and it’s very open. Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel are getting a bit of weight from the other horses as they are only three and the others are older and more experienced.”

Stott was visibly disappointed after King Of Steel’s Derby defeat, feeling he could have won had he timed his challenge differently, but having had time to reflect, he is more accepting of how the race panned out.

He said: “I still look at the replay now and again from the Derby and go over it again and again. I’ve got to the stage now where I wouldn’t change anything that I did, we just got run down by the better horse on the day.

“I had no pressure on me, I was just riding him to run well, to see what we had, to see if the home work was backing up in a race.

“Between the two and the three (furlong) pole I was in front by two and a bit lengths and the next thing you know I was screaming for the finish line.

“Unfortunately we just got run down by a very good horse on the day, hopefully we can turn the form around but we have to, first of all, beat some other very good horses in the race.

“It’s not just a race between the two three-year-olds, but I like to think that if it does come down to a battle again from the furlong pole, then hopefully our fella will pull it out.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in the horse, but then again Aidan O’Brien is the master of the world that we live in and even though Auguste Rodin’s win in the Irish Derby wasn’t as visually flattering as the English Derby, he is probably one of the nicest horses that Aidan has trained.”

The final field for the race has yet to take shape and Stott is avoiding getting too attached to fixed tactical plans as the declarations and the going could change the complexion of the contest.

“You can sit down and analyse it and you’ve got plan A and plan B, but within a second that can just disappear and within a second you can have to go for plan F,” he said,

“You go through it all the time, you’re thinking about what’s going to happen and sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.

“Just to be part of a race like this and to ride a horse of this calibre is very exciting.”

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