A trip to the Breeders’ Cup is on the table for Symbol Of Strength after he bypassed the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
After finishing third at 80-1 in the Gimcrack at York, Adrian Keatley’s colt proved his performance was no fluke with a determined Group Three victory in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton last time out.
The Kodiac colt was scheduled to return to Group Two level this weekend, but heavy rain on Saturday morning made the ground unsuitable, prompting Keatley to withdraw.
"Between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., we received about 15 millimetres of rain, which is a significant amount, and he’s too good a horse to run on that ground," said the Classic-winning trainer. "Given his proven ability at Group Three and Group Two levels, it was an easy decision not to run him."
Symbol Of Strength could have the option of competing next weekend in the Group One Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes. However, with Keatley concerned that conditions at Newmarket may also be unfavourable, he’s considering finishing the colt’s juvenile campaign in California.
"The forecast suggests the weather will be similar for Newmarket, so I’d expect the ground there to be unsuitable as well," Keatley noted. "I’d love to run in the Middle Park, but the weather isn’t on our side. The Breeders’ Cup is a possibility, and there’s been a lot of interest in him. If he doesn’t get sold, the Breeders’ Cup is definitely an option. It’s all still up in the air at the moment."