Cotai can grab ‘Glory’ in King George Stakes
CHARLIE HILLS tasted big-race glory earlier in the week at Goodwood and Cotai Glory can keep the ball rolling by bouncing back to form in the Qatar King George Stakes on day four of the Glorious meeting.
Cotai Glory finished a fine fifth in this event last year but has produced a mixed bag of results since, falling short on more than one occasion at the highest level but showing himself to be a very useful contender nevertheless.
The four-year-old’s campaign did not begin on a particularly high note as he was beaten into 12th in a blanket finish to the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket, while a drop to Listed level next time also failed to yield glory as the reopposing Take Cover had him back in second.
However, his King’s Stand effort at Ascot means he must be taken seriously in this Group Two event as a neck beating at the hands of Profitable is not to be sneezed at, especially as connections were more than a little concerned about the soft ground that day.
Stepped up to six furlongs for the July Cup, Cotai Glory appeared to be found out by the slightly longer trip as he was thereabouts with two furlongs to go but dropped away in the closing stages.
Unless there is a true star among the field, these sprinting heats are usually ultratight events and it may just be Cotai Glory’s turn back to the minimum distance and with his favoured quick ground. He is going to pop up at some point.
A trip to Australia is on the agenda for Scottish later in the year and if he is to fulfil Melbourne ambitions, he really should be up to the task in the Betfred Glorious Stakes.
Now with Charlie Appleby, Scottish finished a highly creditable second to Highland Reel in the Gordon Stakes at this meeting last year for Andrew Balding, so there are few questions about how he will handle this 12 furlongs on the Downs track.
Scottish has done well in two starts for Appleby, finishing a fair third in the Eclipse on his reappearance before beating Berkshire by just under two lengths in a Newbury Listed heat.
Those two runs were over 10 furlongs but stepping up another quarter of a mile here holds no fears.