A performance worthy of a King

By Alan Conway

Will he do it? Can he do it again? The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth stakes features the return to action of Workforce, the brilliant winner of the Investec Derby. But which Workforce will turn up? Will we see a repeat of Epsom when he displayed a rare turn of foot to slam his rivals? Or will we see another Derby winner undone by the demands that Epsom placed on him?

The King George has taken on extra importance for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained horse. Since the Derby the form has taken a beating. Apart from Buzzword who won a Group 1 in Germany last weekend each horse that was behind Workforce has disappointed. For Workforce to have any claims of being a great horse he not only has to win on Saturday but he has to win convincingly.

One top class performance does not make a good horse a great one. It just means that the talent is there but not always realised. Let your mind skim back. Think of a horse who you thought was a great horse after one performance and compare them to say a Sea the Stars or Sea Bird or a Nijinsky. Hawk Wing would be one such horse. Yes he was a Group 1 winner as a two-year-old and he did win a Group 1 by 11 lengths. But a great horse? I think not.

This is the challenge that Workforce faces on Saturday. He was a good Derby winner. Is he a great horse? Saturday will tell us more. The Derby left me feeling short-changed. It was a stunning performance by Workforce. But the race was a mess. The pacesetter was nearly given too much rope by the chasing pack and it took a horse like Workforce to reel in At First Sight. It could very well be that Workforce is a genuine superstar in the making. He has only had three starts in his life and is probably improving. Saturday will be no cakewalk however.

With Harbinger and Cape Blanco, Workforce will have to be at his best if he is to defeat them. Harbinger is an archetypal Sir Michael Stoute horse. Unrushed at two and three, Stoute allowed the colt to mature and develop at his own pace. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing who own Harbinger have had their patience rewarded with successes this season when he won at Chester and Royal Ascot. A colt who has a high cruising gear and a smart turn of foot he is a worthy second favourite. Add in the fact that Oliver Peslier is on Harbinger he is primed for a huge run.

Cape Blanco is the interesting contender. His only defeat came when he bombed out in the Prix De Jockey Club. Up to that point he was undefeated in four starts. He got back to winning ways when he took the Irish Derby a month ago. Unlike Workforce Cape Blanco is more of a grinder. He needs a strong, even tempo so his long raking stride can be deployed. The one concern is that Workforce has a quicker change of gear and could be gone by the time Cape Blanco hits top gear. Colm O’Donoghue will have to be on top of his game for Cape Blanco to prevail. Throw Dar Re Mi and Youmzain into the mix and this race has all the makings of a top notch renewal of the King George.

I hope that the Workforce we saw at Epsom shows up at Ascot. He has the potential to be a great horse. He has to produce a performance worthy of the race’s name if any claims of greatness are to be taken seriously. Let’s hope we see a tour de force this Saturday.

By Alan Conway