King George: What connections say
Friday 20 July 2012
St Nicholas Abbey – Joseph O’Brien, jockey:
"There are a few more runners than last year, so hopefully there will be something forcing the pace, we go a nice, even gallop and the best horse wins.
"Hopefully the ground will dry out - it wouldn't be ideal for it to be too soft. He has a very good turn of foot and we know he's very effective on fast ground.
"But there's nothing we can do about conditions and we'll play with the cards we're dealt. Hopefully he'll run a nice race."
Nathaniel –John Gosden, trainer
"It's only a two-week gap and I can't emphasise how tough that is for a horse. He had a hard race at Sandown but he has eaten well, he looks well and has been scoping great and you need to have a go at these top races.
"He's a late-maturing horse, mentally and physically, and that was always going to be the case.
"We always felt that whatever he did last year, he was going to do better this year.
"It all points towards that now. As the season progresses, I think he will get better."
Reliable Man - Alain de Royer-Dupre, trainer:
"He finished his last race very strong and with the longer distance, maybe he can have a better place in the race and can finish in the same way.
"He won a Group One at three, but he has come back very well and he has a chance to be competitive in a race like this.
"I think it is a tough race, but 12 furlongs is longer and he likes Ascot.
"He ran very well in the Prince of Wales's and the extra distance could be better for him."
Deep Brillante - Keita Tanaka, racing manager to owners Sunday Racing
"The three-year-old Japanese horses this year are quite competitive and he is one of the best ones among them, so it is quite interesting to see how he goes against the very best horses in this country.
"He won a Group Three as a two-year-old last year at Tokyo racetrack in Japan on very heavy ground and he won the Japanese Derby last month in the fastest time in the race's history.
"He can handle soft ground to heavy ground, the ground does not matter to him."
Brown Panther – Tom Dascombe, trainer
"He's all ready to go and I'm very happy with him going into the race."
"I was reading this morning that our jockey is quite confident, so that was nice to see! He's a lot more experienced than I am when it comes to these big races.
"It's an extremely good race, but the course, the distance and conditions are all in our favour and I'm sure he'll run as well as he's able to.
"I think he should be a bit sharper than he was at Pontefract. After such a disappointing run first time out, I didn't want to push him too hard before he went to Pontefract and he should be better now."
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