The winner of the bet365 Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday, Astro King, the hero of last season's Cambridgeshire, is back at the headquarters.
For Daniel and Claire Kubler, the seven-year-old had an incredibly successful 2023 campaign, which included lucrative victories at York and on the Rowley Mile with the nose defeat in the John Smith's Cup.
Since then, Astro King has had the pleasure of travelling to the Middle East for the winter, winning both the Bahrain International Trophy and the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia. His connections are eager for him to compete again in the United States.
Claire Kubler stated: “It’s obviously the same course and distance as the Cambridgeshire and it will be nice to get him back there, he’s in good form.
“It was a big ask to travel abroad, but he ran a great race in Bahrain, he was just a bit unlucky with the draw and got stuck against the rail. There was lots of promise there and we’re looking forward to another good campaign with him this year. It will be interesting to see how he runs, I just wonder what the ground will be like. The way it’s drying out, it might just be a bit holding, which is not ideal, but we’ll see how it goes”.
Royal Rhyme will make his first appearance since placing fifth in the Qipco Champion Stakes the previous season, according to Karl Burke, though the drying ground may make his participation far from guaranteed.
“He’s in good shape, but I’d be a bit worried about the ground and if we’re not happy with it, he’s a possible non-runner,” added the Spigot Lodge handler.
Some contenders are Sir Michael Stoute's excellent veteran Regal Reality and Roger Varian's Embesto, who dead-heated for victory in the Group Three Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last summer.
Ryan Moore, who rides Regal Reality, told Betfair: “He has run some good races when fresh in the past and hopefully the ground remains decent for him, though he has winning form with a bit of dig, too.
“As a nine-year-old, he has to give a few years to all of his rivals and he would be vulnerable to an improver like Royal Rhyme, but he has run some very good races on this track, including when a narrow second in the Joel Stakes here in September. He is among the form horses here on that run.”