ASCOT, England // Highland Reel benefitted from a brilliant tactical ride by Ryan Moore to win the 2,400-metre King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.
Moore positioned Coolmore’s son of Galileo at the head of the seven-runner field and from there dictated to his rival riders a stop-start pace that suited his mount only.
At the line there was a length and a quarter back to Wings Of Desire, the English Derby fourth who was ridden by Frankie Dettori. The Queen’s Dartmouth, who had beaten Highland Reel here last month in the Hardwicke Stakes on good to soft ground, made late headway from a hopeless position under Olivier Peslier on the good to firm ground to finish third.
“I didn’t want to lead and nobody else wanted to lead and as he hit the gates so well he ended up in front,” Moore said. “I dictated the tempo I wanted, but he is a very good horse and allows you to do that. He settled there and that was that.”
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Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s Postponed may not have been present due to being scratched on Wednesday with a respiratory infection, but there is every chance at the end of the season the two horses could meet again.
Postponed hammered Highland Reel in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March, and has had the Breeders’ Cup Turf on his schedule since he was ruled out of the race last season with a dirty scope.
Where Highland Reel goes next is up in the air, and trainer Aidan O’Brien did not sound keen on travelling to York for the International over 2000 metres next month.
The King George is a Win And You’re In Race for Santa Anita on November 5, and combined with Highland Reel’s ability to travel abroad, love of fast ground and tactical pace he would be perfectly suited to the US challenge.
“I would say the Breeders’ Cup Tuf would be definite,” O’Brien said.
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