The prevailing belief is that Daliapour the Derby runner-up will be at the forefront as he
The prevailing belief is that Daliapour, the Derby runner-up, will be at the forefront as he and Oath, the Blue Riband victor, attempt to vindicate the Epsom Classic form. "If they are faced with a false situation then top jockeys have got to go on. "I do fear the combination of Daylami and a slow pace."If it wasn't for the Coronation Cup we would be saying the pace would come from Nedawi, who is capable of front-running and a serious contender."Those tactics in the Coronation Cup were seriously legitimate but if they repeated them you just wouldn't know what was going to happen."One certainty, though, is that the Middleham trainer will brief Olivier Peslier on the permutations and will not allow any hard-luck story. He had previously been behind Daylami at Epsom and his trainer will not stand a repetition."I don't know what is going to make the running and it's undoubtedly a worry," Johnston says. Team Dubai has Nedawi in today's race and it will be intriguing to see if he fulfils a similar role.If he does not it might be that Fruits Of Love will make the pace. Mark Johnston's colt was no trailblazer over course and distance last time, swooping from the rear in the closing stages of a furious Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting. Central Park was the pacemaker, or rather pace slower, for Godolphin, trotting at the head of affairs as his stablemate Daylami conserved his finishing kick in the peleton.
If the contest is little more than a saunter in the early stages then, surely, Daylami will be the one to take advantage.The last-named ran in the King George 12 months ago and appeared to run out of energy as the lungs were bursting close home. He probably does not truly stay a mile and a half.Yet he has won over the distance, in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. That event was only just the right side of a sham, or a famous victory for tactics, depending on where you pitched your tent. Who on earth will make the running? It is not a question likely to win a huge audience in the pub, yet its answer will have a profound effect on the outcome. If the field tears round madly then Fruits Of Love and Daliapour will have a better chance. The huge question, however, going into today's running of the great race is a prosaic one. It tells us of the relative merits of Classic racehorses and their older counterparts and, on occasion, it can confirm the outstanding Derby winners, the likes of Shergar, Nashwan and Generous.
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes is the high-summer encounter which answers many questions. Aljabr was joined by Cape Cross and Lend A Hand in a field of 10 left in the Group One Goodwood contest.. Lord Pacal will be the only British runner in today's Group Two Prix Robert Papin over five and a half furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte. Sylvain Guillot rides the Norfolk Stakes fourth for Neville Callaghan Just five two-year-olds stand their ground. Aidan O'Brien runs Rossini (Michael Kinane) and Finnan (Frederic Sanchez). German raider Auenklang and Vinceslass complete the line up. Godolphin confirmed three horses yesterday for Wednesday's Sussex Stakes.