King’s Gambit enters Coolmore reckoning with Rosehill win
Despite King’s Gambit’s (I Am Invincible) scintillating display to win yesterday’s Roman Consul Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Rosehill, co-trainer Peter Snowden believes they still haven’t seen the best of the colt, who will now be aimed towards a Group 1 fixture later on in the season.
King’s Gambit announced himself on the scene when breaking his maiden in the Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) 12 months ago. Although he failed to get his head in front again all season, he continued to run with credit, finishing second in the Canonbury Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), before placing third in the Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) and finished his season on a high, when coming home a gallant third in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Kicking off his three-year-old season by coming home a tired third, after racing keenly, in the Poseidon Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on September 16, King’s Gambit looked back to his best under Tommy Berry yesterday, scooting home to beat Mexico (Capitalist) by a length and three–quarters. The previously unbeaten Ozzmosis (Zoustar) surrendered his perfect record, when he finished another nose adrift in third.
“We have put a lot of work into this bloke,” said Peter Snowden, who was celebrating his birthday yesterday. “It’s all worthwhile. We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think he was capable of winning like that.
If he gets it right, that is what he can do. He’s a very, very good horse. I still feel we’ve only seen fifty per cent of what he can do.”
Snowden is confident King’s Gambit could make his presence felt in The Everest (1200m), but that dream will have to wait another year, with the trainer preferring to keep the three-year-old amongst his own age group, with the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington on November 4, now likely to be firmly on the colt’s agenda.
“I think the best thing for the horse is to wait 12 months. Today there are 10,000 people (on track), on Everest day there is 50,000 people and that can bring him undone pre-race.”
Owned by a consortium of leading players, including Henry Field’s Newgate Farm, Gooree Park Stud and China Horse Club, a victory in the stallion-making Group 1 contest on Derby day would see the colt’s value as stallion prospect skyrocket.
“The Coolmore is the race Henry [Field] and the team really want to win. I was a bit sceptical at first when we down there and it didn’t work, but we might get another run into him and the more racing he has the better he will be and the more relaxed,” added Snowden.
“He’s certainly talented and once we get it all worked out you’ll see a really nice horse.”
The Roman Consul Stakes roll of honour includes some household names such as Exceed And Excel (Danehill) (2003), Fastnet Rock (Danehill) (2004), Zoustar (Northern Meteor) (2015), Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) (2014) and Russian Revolution (Snitzel) (2016), to name a few. Zoustar and Brazen Beau both also went on to win the Coolmore Stud Stakes later on in the season.
Bred by Gooree Park and born and raised at Newgate, King’s Gambit (3 c I Am Invincible – Sultry Feeling by Encosta De Lago) is out of Goree’s dual Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed dam Sultry Feeling (Encosta De Lago).
The colt is one of three winners out of Sultry Feeling and she is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Swift Alliance (Don Eduardo) as well as stakes-placed New Day Rising (Fastnet Rock) and Tzu Hsi (Quest For Fame), the dam of Group 2 winner Rock Sturdy (Fastnet Rock).
A Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) half-brother to King’s Gambit was purchased by Chris Waller Racing for $825,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale earlier in the year. Last season, Sultry Feeling produced a colt by Newgate’s leading stallion Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) and she was covered by I Am Invincible last November.