The injured star King Of Steel of Amo Racing is resting at Dominic Ffrench Davis's yard in Lambourn, recuperating from the injuries that have cut short his season, rather than getting ready for another chance at Royal Ascot glory next month.
The Champion Stakes winner was supposed to make his seasonal comeback in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last week. Still, he was found lame after regular training on the watered gallop in Newmarket, so he departed trainer Roger Varian's yard a fortnight ago.
King Of Steel will soon be moved to Amo Racing's Irish base at Mullingar in County Westmeath for additional rest and recovery. He is familiar with the facility from his three-month stay there last winter. Vets will examine him there and determine whether to provide him a spot at stud for 2025 or allow him to race.
Ffrench Davies said: “We’re looking after King Of Steel at the moment. He’ll probably return to Ireland shortly to Amo Racing’s pre-training yard to recuperate further, which is standard practice for the operation. There is nothing untoward about any of that but there’s no point in him staying with Roger Varian to recuperate at great expense to the owner. The owner owns a yard in Lambourn so it makes economic sense to have the horse here for now and hopefully, he can get back to full health.”
Ffrench Davis added: "We're toying with the idea of running him in the Queen's Vase. He's a baby of a horse really. We had him here last year and as he cost a lot of money. Kia sent him to Roger. The reports were good but he ran into a good horse in Meydaan at Newcastle first time."