Lack of interest should worry officials

Jul 26 2008 The Journal

FOR the third year in succession, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes has failed to attract any of Europe’s leading three-year-olds and the absence of the Classic generation must be of some concern to the Ascot authority.

Only four second-season performers have contested the midsummer showpiece in the six years since Galileo beat seven elders and four of his own age group.

Duke Of Marmalade will be odds-on for today’s prize to continue the rich vein of form of Adrian O’Brien’s stable in Group One events this year, despite this being his first attempt at a mile and a half.

However, his relaxed style will help in that respect and he wasn’t exactly stopping at the end of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes over 10 furlongs at Royal Ascot.

Mick Channon remains confident though that his Youmzain can go one better after finding another O’Brien horse, Dylan Thomas, too good for him in last year’s race. He beat Soldier Of Fortune in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last month and, while a strong pace is not essential for his charge, Channon would prefer one to put pressure on the favourite’s ability to see out this longer trip. Youmzain has little to find on official ratings with Duke Of Marmalade while his stamina is guaranteed, so it’s understandable connections are quite bullish he can turn over the Irishman if he gets the run of the race.

Rather than buy money by backing the market leader as he ventures into unknown territory in terms of distance, punters have been looking for the each-way steal and most of them seem to think that Lucarno fits the bill. Last year’s St Leger hero was given an astute ride by Jimmy Fortune from the front to defy his Group One penalty at Newmarket recently. Given a soft lead, his pursuers were never going to get to him once his jockey got him going over a furlong out.

Lucarno gave 5lb and a length and a quarter beating to Papal Bull and ought to confirm that form on 5lb better terms and there is a formline through Papal that points to Lucarno also having the beating of Youmzain. Ask, stablemate of Papal Bull, needs to step up a gear at this level and Youmzain gets the final vote.