Simcock has belief in Spear
Newmarket trainer David Simcock today spoke of looking forward to Saturday when he runs Qatar Racing's Lightning Spear in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
The race is one of four Group One contests on QIPCO British Champions Day, which also comprises a Group Two race and highly valuable handicap.
Five-year-old Lightning Spear won August's Gr.2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood on his latest start, and Simcock (pictured right) said: ‚"The horse had a quiet time for a couple of weeks, but he has now come to the boil and his work has been good. We're very much looking forward to running him.‚"
Having won on quick ground when last seen, and handled soft when he was third to top US mare Tepin in Royal Ascot's Queen Anne Stakes, Lightning Spear seems versatile on a variety of ground, and Simcock said ‚"We've seen he can handle fast ground, and it was easy at Ascot, but we wouldn't ever want extremes.
‚"One thing he will like is the course a straight mile and a big, galloping track is ideal. I've got a lot of belief in the horse.‚"
Barring accidents Lightning Spear will be declared for the race at the 48-hour stage tomorrow. Rivals are likely to include Ribchester, who finished ahead of Lightning Spear in the Gr.1 Prix Jacques Le Marois in midsummer, and a trio who have each won a Guineas this year, namely Awtaad, Galileo Gold and Jet Setting.
Strath Burn's withdrawal from a race at Musselburgh on Monday denied the Dhgdale Family the chance of joining David Jewers on 320pts at the head of Qatar Racing's 8 to Follow competition.
Yet the final placings are far from finalised, because the leader does not have Lightning Spear in his stable, and a number of his nearest pursuers do. Should that horse win the QEII Stakes Jewers would be pushed out of the top five, and if he finishes second Dhgdale Family would go level with the leader it would then come down to countback for number of wins by the horses in each stable.
Anything Simple Verse does in either the Long Distance Cup or Fillies' and Mares' Stakes would be irrelevant since she is a member of the top three stables.