POSTPONED is a star attraction in what looks a vintage renewal of the Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday.
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s son of Dubawi is one of six Group 1 winners declared for the richest race ever staged at York, with the original £900,000 prize fund topped up by supplementary entry to exceed £960,000.
Appropriately for what is Britain’s highest rated race, Postponed is the world’s joint highest-rated horse in training with an official mark of 124. Winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2015, Postponed is three from three since joining trainer Roger Varian at the end of last season.
His first two victories of this campaign came in Dubai where he followed up an easy win in Group 2 company with a three-length beating one of Wednesday’s rivals, Dariyan, in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
His next start came at Epsom in the Coronation Cup where he again showed the field a clean pair of heels, winning eased down by four and a half lengths.
Unfortunately, Postponed was ruled out of defending his King George crown through a respiratory infection, but connections are confident that he has bounced back and heads to York in good shape.
Varian said: “We are looking forward to dropping back to ten furlongs and this race has been an objective of ours since the start of the season. He is a colt with terrific turn of foot and a high cruising speed. These attributes and the manner in which that he has been winning over a mile and a half suggest that the drop back in trip shouldn’t be a problem. The nature of the track at York should play to his strengths.
“With five other Group 1 winners in the race, this looks a strong renewal but he seems fully recovered from the setback which ruled him out of the King George. He looks well and his work has been very pleasing.”
Among Postponed’s rivals is Coral Eclipse winner, Hawkbill, who was supplemented at the six-day stage and Prince Of Wales’s Stakes hero, My Dream Boat.
Aidan O’Brien’s powerful Ballydoyle stable has won the race no less than five times in the past and he will be double-handed in his quest for a sixth success. Highland Reel, who won the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes this season, will be joined by Sir Isaac Newton, fourth in that contest having previously won the Listed Wolferton Handicap at Royal Ascot.
The aforementioned Dariyan adds some international spice while the Kevin Ryan-trained, The Grey Gatsby, would be a popular first local winner of the showpiece affair. A son of Mastercraftsman, The Grey Gatsby was a winner of the Betfred Dante at York over Wednesday’s course and distance as a three-year-old and has also been placed twice in the last two renewals of this race.
The trophy will be presented by the track’s Royal Patron, HRH The Duke of York.
A field of six are set to head to post for the Group 2 Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes. They include Royal Ascot scorer, Across The Stars and Irish Derby runner-up Idaho.
Day one of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor festival gets underway at 1:55pm with the Symphony Group Stakes, a £65,000 handicap over five furlongs.
Four days of high-class action culminates on Saturday with the £280,000 Betfred Ebor, Europe’s richest flat handicap.
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