Search

show me:

Treble-chasing Take Cover among Qatar King George Stakes entries

3 minute read

Previous winners Take Cover and Muthmir feature among 24 sprinters entered for the £300,000 Group Two Qatar King George Stakes on the fourth day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, Friday, August 4.

Muthmir
Muthmir Picture: Pat Healy Photography

Take Cover, trained by David Griffiths in South Yorkshire, became the seventh dual winner of the five-furlong contest last year when edging out Washington DC (Aidan O'Brien) and Goldream (Robert Cowell), to add to his success in 2014.

The son of Singspiel also went down by a head to Muthmir, from the Newmarket stables of William Haggas, in the 2015 Qatar King George Stakes.

Now a 10-year-old, Take Cover is set to attempt to create history in 2017 by becoming the first horse to win the Qatar King George Stakes three times. He ran an excellent race on his latest appearance when a fine fifth, beaten five lengths, in the G1 King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot on June 20.

Griffiths commented: "The plan is for Take Cover to go for the Qatar King George Stakes again.

"He ran a cracker in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last week. I was chuffed to bits as it was probably the best renewal of the King's Stand that we have seen in the last few years and Lady Aurelia was a very good winner.

"The plan now is to take in a race before we go to Goodwood. The City Walls Stakes at York, which he won a couple of years ago, could be an option as that would tie in nicely with going to Goodwood.

"The quick ground helped him at Royal Ascot, but he seems as good as ever and he has come out of that race really well. It would be nice for him to be the first triple winner of the King George Stakes."

Godolphin's Profitable captured the G1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2016 and was runner-up to Lady Aurelia in the same five-furlong race last week. His trainer Clive Cox has also entered G2 Temple Stakes scorer Priceless and G1 Commonwealth Cup sixth Tis Marvellous.

Other leading entries include King's Stand Stakes third Marsha (Sir Mark Prescott) and G3 Abernant Stakes victor Brando (Kevin Ryan), plus the last three winners of the G3 Bombay Sapphire Molecomb Stakes - Cotai Glory (Charlie Hills), Kachy (Tom Dascombe) and Yalta (Mark Johnston).


Racing and Sports

What’s gambling really costing you?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au