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| Sumita Pawar |
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Due to a leg infection, Desert Crown, the Derby hero from last year, has been ruled out of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
The 4YO trained by Sir Michael Stoute had been getting ready for his first race since coming in second to Hukum in Brigadier Gerard at Sandown in May. He had to skip the Prince of Wales's Stakes the next month because of a small setback.
Desert Crown's Next Big Challenge
On Thursday morning, Bruce Raymond, the racing manager for Saeed Suhail, the owner of Desert Crown, confirmed the news and announced that the upcoming goal would be the Juddmonte International at York on August 23, a Group One event.
Raymond said, “He has a leg infection and we’ll go to York with him now. It happened yesterday, would you believe it? He’s in good shape and everything else is going well, it's just bad timing for Ascot."
Although Desert Crown has been ruled out of the big weekend event, Raymond explained the injury was no more than an infection.
He added, "I only heard last night. I don’t think it’s bad – it’s not a broken leg or a fracture, it’s just an infection and Michael said he wouldn’t be declaring him."
Desert Crown's absence from the King George has caused Coral to decrease his odds for the Juddmonte International next month from 8 to 5-1. Mostahdaf and Paddington are currently the frontrunners in the market, with odds of 3-1.
David Stevens, spokesperson for the Coral, said, "It's a blow for all involved that Desert Crown won't be taking his place in this year's King George, but Ascot's loss promises to be York's gain, with last year's Derby hero now just 5-1 for the Juddmonte International."