UK Horse Racing Tips

The Investec Derby runner-up Kingston Hill looks more than likely to have his next racecourse outing at York on August 20, but ground conditions will dictate whether he goes for the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes or the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes.
The Roger Varian-trained colt was the only one to make a serious race of it at Epsom with the impressive Australia, who subsequently went on to follow up with a facile victory in the Irish Derby following the late withdrawal of Kingston Hill on account of the unsuitably quick ground at the Curragh.

Varian’s charge turned up instead at Sandown a week later to tackle older horses for the first time over 10 furlongs in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse where he finished a staying-on fourth behind William Haggas’ admirable Mukhadram.

Apparently lacking the pace to find a good early position in the Eclipse, Kingston Hill raced to the rear of the field under Frankie Dettori and kept on steadily in the closing stages to be beaten just over four lengths by the winner.

The ground at Sandown was on the quick side and the online race guides seem to have taken the view that if the going at York is good then connections will bid for the 12 furlong Great Voltigeur Stakes, a race seen as a key St Leger trial. If there is some cut in the ground then the son of Mastercraftsman will again take on older horses over the 10 furlongs of the Juddmonte International Stakes. Both races are scheduled for August 20.

On the evidence of his latest outing, the longer York race would appear the best chance of success for Varian’s talented colt, a horse who won at the highest level over a mile as a juvenile when running away with the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last October.

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