King Of Comedy

King Of Comedy stepped forward again in finishing second in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Squeezed out of it a little at the start, he was settled towards the rear of the field early on by Adam Kirby behind a relatively sedate pace. Third last of the 11 runners as they started to turn for home, his rider had to wait until they got racing room at the two-furlong marker before he could ask his horse to pick up and, when he did, the response was impressive. He stayed on really strongly down the near side to get past Skardu and his stable companion Too Darn Hot to take second place, beaten just a neck by the winner Circus Maximus.

It was a fine run from one so inexperienced. He did hang a little to his left in the home straight, but you can allow him that, given that this was just the fifth race of his life. He did show signs of temperament on his previous run at Sandown, when he won the Heron Stakes – like last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes winner Without Parole – but he is obviously a seriously talented colt. A half-brother to Musidora Stakes and Prix de Diane winner Star Of Seville, he raced here like he could go further, and he could improve for a step up to 10 furlongs.

Ascot, 18^th June 2019