Postponed Benefits From Horn Absence At Ascot

PLEASURE POSTPONED In a rain-blighted renewal marred by the withdrawal not only of its chief protagonist Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) but also of the interesting contender The Corsican (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the solid Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Saturday’s G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. was at least partly salvaged by a thrilling duel up Ascot’s stretch in which Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) edged out old rival Eagle Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) by a nose. Having become embroiled in a mid-race ruckus when third and second respectively in the G2 Hardwicke S. over this course and distance last time June 20, the duo joined battle at the proper part of the race this time with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Postponed headed by the 5-2 favorite passing the furlong marker. Battling gamely against the fence for Andrea Atzeni to get back on top of Golden Horn’s stable companion in the last stride, the 6-1 shot who was always prominently placed was providing trainer Luca Cumani with a belated first King George. “It was a fantastic race and Andrea gave him a peach of a ride,” commented the master of Bedford House Stables in Newmarket, who had been second in this in 1987 with Celestial Storm (Roberto). “The plan was to sit handy, as he was ready for this and wanted a good pace. I wasn’t sure about the ground, but he’s shown he can handle any ground and this was always the plan. This is very special.” Saturday, Ascot, Britain KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH S.-G1, £1,215,000, ASC, 7-25, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:31.25, sf. 1–&POSTPONED (IRE), 133, c, 4, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Ever Rigg (GB), by Dubai Destination 2nd Dam: Bianca Nera (GB), by Salse 3rd Dam: Birch Creek (GB), by Carwhite (Ire) (360,000gns Ylg ‘12 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (IRE); T-Luca Cumani; J-Andrea Atzeni. £689,026. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 12-4-2-4, $1,539,646. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Eagle Top (GB), 133, c, 4, Pivotal (GB)–Gull Wing (Ire), by In the Wings (GB). O/B-Lady Bamford (GB); T-John Gosden. £261,225. 3–Romsdal (GB), 133, c, 4, Halling–Pure Song (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). (65,000gns Ylg ‘12 TAOCT). O-Godolphin; B-W & R Barnett Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden. £130,734. Margins: NO, 3 3/4, 2. Odds: 6.00, 2.50, 12.00. Also Ran: Madame Chiang (GB), Clever Cookie (GB), Snow Sky (GB), Dylan Mouth (Ire). Scratched: Flintshire (GB), The Corsican (Ire), Golden Horn (GB). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. This year’s edition could be seen as a tale of two King Georges, with the first involving the crowning of a likely long odds-on favorite in Golden Horn consigned to the rubbish bin of history by the time the last of the torrential rain had fallen on the Berkshire venue. With John Gosden’s going stick telling him all he needed to know about risking his prize performer on tacky ground at this stage of his brilliant career, fans of this great race had to considerably downsize their expectations and revisit a form book that had looked largely irrelevant 48 hours earlier. Studies concluded that Eagle Top and Postponed were hard to separate on their Hardwicke efforts behind Snow Sky (GB) (Nayef), but that the former would appreciate the revised going more than the other two and so he took up the mantle of favoritism with Frankie Dettori replacing Richard Hughes. Even the ex-hurdler Clever Cookie (GB) (Primo Valentino {Ire}) was deemed to have more than a shout on this surface, but there were few concrete opinions as the seven lined up. Postponed had been around 20-1 the night before Golden Horn’s withdrawal, which was surprising given that he had been earmarked by many for these heights when storming to an emphatic success in the 12-furlong G2 Great Voltigeur S. on what turned out to be his 3-year-old finale at the latest Ebor meeting at York. Honed for a return to this trip by Luca Cumani with two solid efforts when second on his seasonal bow in the G3 Gordon Richards S. over 10 furlongs at Sandown Apr. 24 and third a month later in The Curragh’s G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup over an extra half-furlong, he failed to shine in the Hardwicke when just run out of second late on by Eagle Top as Snow Sky scampered away from them. Adam Kirby’s ride on Postponed was the subject of criticism by Eagle Top’s trainer John Gosden at the time and he duly lost the opportunity to make amends on this big occasion as the owner went back to Andrea Atzeni who had partnered him on seven of his 11 career starts. Opting to send the Cumani runner forward from his wide draw, Atzeni shadowed the pace-setter Romsdal (GB) (Halling) as Dettori languished with only Clever Cookie behind on the smooth-traveling market leader. Despite sticking close to that exacting tempo, Postponed was able to extend when asked the question turning for home and worked his way to the front with a quarter mile left as Eagle Top started his run five-wide. By the time they reached the furlong pole, the latter had made up three lengths and despite forging ahead by a slim margin the effort he had expended to get there paid in the vital last yards. “Fair play to the owner, as if that was me I would never have run him on that ground,” the winning rider said. “I thought he was a fast-ground horse and I wanted to drop him in, but the owner said to go forward and even make the running if I could. Even at Sandown, he looked beat but came back and he stays well and has a big heart. I thought Frankie was going to get to me, but I know this fellow and he doesn’t give up. We’ve always liked him and things haven’t gone his way this year, but it’s paid off. Adam [Kirby] is a good friend of mine and it’s one of those things. I think he’s just been unlucky with the horse and you can’t really blame him.” Cumani is looking at the [Oct. 4] G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp now. “It would be nice to think about the Arc now we know he goes on soft ground,” he added. “It’s a step higher, but it’s a challenge and we’ll have to take it.” Gosden’s day, which had begun with disappointment after having to scratch the central star, was brightened by a solid run from the runner-up and third and he said, “Eagle Top ran a great race. He was forced wide into the straight and it probably cost him at the end, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with him. The ground is tacky and holding and Romsdal has gone a good solid pace and has also run a lovely race. They are lovely older horses and gave us a good finish–it was a re-run of the Hardwicke without a hard-luck story. I couldn’t have run Golden Horn on that ground, as the last thing he needs is to be going flat out over a mile and a half on tacky ground rising from Swinley Bottom.”