Highland Reel Dominates the King George

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Market indications were that Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was ready to really unload at Ascot on Saturday and under a masterclass of riding from the front by Ryan Moore duly justified heavy support as the 13-8 favourite in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Whatever the consequences of the withdrawal of last year's winner Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) on this renewal, there was much to admire about the way the colt who had long promised to land a European race of this stature went about his business from the outset. Clear at halfway before being allowed to fill his lungs on the approach to the home turn, Derrick Smith's globe-trotting 4-year-old who had been worried out of the June 18 G2 Hardwicke S. by Dartmouth (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) started to turn the screw from the top of the straight. Kept rolling to ward off the threat of the 3-year-old Wings of Desire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths, last year's GI Secretariat S. and G1 Hong Kong Vase hero had a further 2 3/4 lengths as a cushion back to his Royal conqueror Dartmouth in third. “He's a very good horse–he'd won in America and Hong Kong and has already had a tough year, so it's a marvellous achievement from Aidan to get him back in this sort of shape to win this sort of race,” Moore said. “Fair play to the horse, as he's thrived on a tough campaign. He's very strong and very professional–he hits the gates well and knows how to race.”

Saturday, Ascot, Britain
KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH S.-G1, £1,215,000, ASC, 7-23, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:28.97, g/f.
1–HIGHLAND REEL (IRE), 133, c, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Hveger (Aus) (MGSP-Aus), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Circles of Gold (Aus), by Marscay (Aus)
3rd Dam: Olympic Aim, by Zamazaan (Fr)
(460,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Hveger Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore; £689,027. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, G1SW-HK, G1SP-Fr & Aus, 15-6-3-1, $3,545,592. *Full to Idaho (Ire), G1SP-Eng & Ire, $610,107; and 1/2 to Valdemoro (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), MG1SP-Aus, $337,006. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Wings of Desire (GB), 121, c, 3, Pivotal (GB)–Gull Wing (Ire), by In the Wings (GB). O/B-Lady Bamford (GB); T-John Gosden. £261,225.
3–Dartmouth (GB), 133, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Galatee (Fr), by Galileo (Ire). O-The Queen; B-Darley (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £130,734.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 1.60, 4.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Sir Isaac Newton (GB), Erupt (Ire), Western Hymn (GB), Second Step (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Taking out his runs on ground easier than good, Highland Reel's record read five from nine entering this test including a renewal of the G2 Vintage S. in which he first indicated his class to a wider audience. In fairness, that Glorious Goodwood outing came after he had already flashed his feathers with a thoroughly impressive 12-length win in a mile maiden at Gowran Park in which the subsequently group-placed Hall of Fame (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was third. Left alone after the Vintage, the bay was next seen letting favourite-backers down when sixth in Longchamp's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains last May and with Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) owning the bragging rights among the milers at Ballydoyle went up in distance for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Forcing his way back into the spotlight there, he had all bar New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) cooked over that Classic's unique 10 1/2-furlong trip at Chantilly three weeks later before flopping when fifth in the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh in June. Even on that occasion, he was the choice of Ryan Moore of the Rosegreen contingent and started at 11-4 second favourite behind Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) so the underlying message was that he remained an exciting prospect.

After a confidence-restoring success back at Glorious Goodwood in the G3 Gordon S. over this trip the following month, Highland Reel went gate-to-wire in the Secretariat in what amounted to the first display of his considerable talent since his second start at Gowran before being subdued again when fifth on yielding ground in Leopardstown's G1 Irish Champion S. in September. That may have served as a warm-up for the G1 Cox Plate which the stable's Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had plundered 12 months earlier and he ran a solid race in third behind the heavyweight duo of Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and Criterion (NZ) (Sebring {Aus}) in that 10-furlong Moonee Valley feature in October. Taken to Hong Kong afterwards, he managed to see out a long year by denying Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) back-to-back successes in the Vase to cap an in-and-out year in style with the promise of more to come with another winter under his belt.

Fourth on his return when attempting to make all in the Mar. 26 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan, Highland Reel was left behind by Postponed who looked altogether a better horse then even the one that had gamely scored in this last year. Sent back to Sha Tin for the Apr. 24 G1 QEII Cup, the wet weather turned against Ballydoyle's representative and after a tortured trip managed to finish eighth prior to being readied for this test via the Hardwicke. In that race, he was deserted by Ryan Moore in favour of the ultimately disappointing Juddmonte runner Exosphere (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}) and after proving too keen throughout the early stages still might have beaten Dartmouth had Seamie Heffernan not lost his whip at a crucial stage.

Looking primed and wired when led out on to the hallowed course as only an entire thoroughbred can in the gleaming sunshine of July, Highland Reel was captured on screen being treated with the sweat scraper down at the start but showed no inclination to overdo things once the gates were open. Ears pricked and content with Ryan Moore sitting steady on the lead, he still managed to open a sizeable gap after the first half mile on raw ability alone as he skimmed the turf which had dried markedly from the Royal meeting as Britain basks in a rare heatwave. As Frankie Dettori coaxed the game Wings of Desire up to his tail with four furlongs left, the winner was hanging fire in front ready for the command which subtly came through the reins a furlong later. At that point, Olivier Peslier looked to have something up his sleeve on the conservatively-ridden Dartmouth behind the well-backed French challenger Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) with the other Ballydoyle challenger Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) also closing in towards the fence. If there was any damage done by his early exertions, the remainder were ready to pick up the pieces but Highland Reel's last spell of acceleration from the quarter pole dragged the guts out of them all bar the genuine Wings of Desire, who ran a race beyond his years on ground that may have been a shade fast for him.

Aidan O'Brien was registering a fourth success in this prestigious prize, which may have been lacking in significant depth in 2016 but which at least showcased the new strength of international racing. “He had a lovely run in the Hardwicke and he's been progressing all the time,” he explained. “Ryan gave him a beautiful ride and this is an incredible horse who loves travelling and he's getting better, which is amazing. Physically, the development is plain and mentally he's a rock. He can go back down to Australia and do all the places and 100 per-cent the Breeders' Cup Turf is right for him.”

Lady Bamford's Wings of Desire failed to better the tally of his full-brother Eagle Top (GB), who was a nose second 12 months ago having been fourth in 2014, but it was not for the want of trying and he gave a solid feel to the Epsom Derby form after failing to land a blow in the blue riband. The owner-breeder's racing manager Hugo Lascelles said, “We might look at the [G1] Juddmonte International [at York Aug. 17] or the [G2] Prix Niel [at Chantilly Sept. 11] and we can think of the Breeders' Cup at the end of the year as well. He will remain in training next year.” The Queen's Dartmouth was unable to replicate his Royal Ascot triumph on this far livelier ground, but was far from disgraced trying to become the first to win this race in Her Majesty's colours since Aureole (GB) in 1954. “I've a notion that he might be an international traveller,” The Queen's racing manager John Warren commented. “He loves that fast ground so there is the Breeders' Cup, Australia and Japan. We will talk it through and as long as The Queen is happy to travel with him, we will see where we go.”

Highland Reel's family is one of pure Australian dynamite, with his G2 South Australian Oaks and G3 Schweppes Oaks-placed dam Hveger a full-sister to the mighty Elvstroem (Aus), whose five top-level victories include the Caulfield Cup and Victoria Derby. The second dam, the G1 Australian Oaks heroine Circles of Gold, also produced the triple group 1 winner Haradasun (Aus) (Fusaichi Pegasus), who famously captured the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot after switching from Tony Vasil to Aidan O'Brien. Circles of Gold's half-sister National Song (Aus) (Vain {Aus}) is the second dam of Starspangledbanner (Aus), another who was able to win at the highest level in both hemispheres and become a champion in Europe under Ballydoyle's present leader, as well as being the third dam of the G1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas heroine Amicus (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Hveger has also bred the G1 Crown VRC Oaks and G1 Vinery Stud Storm Queen S. runner-up Valdemoro (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) and Highland Reel's full-brother and stablemate Idaho (Ire). He was third in the G1 Epsom Derby and second in the Irish equivalent last month and could yet provide Classic glory if he lines up in the G1 St Leger in September. Also to come from the mare are 2-year-old and yearling full-sisters to this winner, with the former named Cercle de la Vie (Ire).