Champion Stakes winner King Of Steel could be back in America next year for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Roger Varian has indicated.
There was a decision to be had this time around after the giant grey won on Champions Day at Ascot, with owner Kia Joorabchian admitting he was tempted by an ambitious bid for the dirt showpiece.
Discretion got the better part of valour on this occasion with only 14 days separating the meetings at Ascot and Santa Anita, and King Of Steel will contest the Breeders’ Cup Turf over 12 furlongs instead, meaning he will once more clash with his Derby conqueror Auguste Rodin.
KING OF STEEL enjoying the Californian sunshine, as he prepares for a tilt at the @BreedersCup Turf on Saturday! 🇺🇸👑@amoracingltd | #BC23 pic.twitter.com/8ljZv9pEBf
— Roger Varian (@varianstable) November 1, 2023
“He looks to be taking everything in his stride. He has a positive demeanour of a horse that can go again. The natural instinct was not to come, but the vital signs are good,” said Varian.
“We left the decision to come as long as we could and he looked so good at home he was ticking plenty of boxes to make me think we should travel.
“It’s the type of race we are interested in, the Turf was always the priority. He found a way to win at Ascot, but I’m sure he didn’t enjoy the conditions.
“We could think about the Classic next season as he will stay in training.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.