So You Think conqueror Rewilding a 5-2 shot for King George
Just 15 possibles remain for the July 23 highlight, with Aidan O’Brien’s Eclipse winner and ex-Australian superstar So You Think the most notable absentee.
Stablemate St Nicholas Abbey currently heads the market as 13-8 favourite but Rewilding, who beat So You Think at Royal Ascot, has been shortened up from 3-1 to his current mark.
Rewilding will be seeking a Group One hat-trick following his Sheema Classic and Prince of Wales’s Stakes victories.
“He’s come out of his race well and had a quiet time up until now but soon he will start to get ready for Ascot. He’s in good form,” said Godolphin’s Simon Crisford.
“It was a fantastic race and that form is rock solid.
“So You Think’s (Australian) form has transferred to Europe in equal measure and he’s a top, top horse,” he added.
O’Brien also has Treasure Beach and Seville in the field but they could both be heading to France, while Jan Vermeer has carried out pacemaking duties in the past.
Marksmanship is his other possbile for Ballydoyle.
Last year’s Arc victor Workforce, who is trained by Michael Stoute, still features on the list along with Henry Cecil’s Midday and Barry Hills’ Redwood — all of whom are owned by Khalid Abdullah.
Reliable Man is a possible French raider for Alain de Royer-Dupre.
Godolphin also have Calvados Blues, Campanologist and Debussy still in the mix, while Mark Johnston’s Jukebox Jury and Dordogne round up the potential field.
Meanwhile discussions remain on-going as to whether So You Think will return to Australia in an attempt to land a third Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 23.
A complication in the horse trying for another Cox Plate success is the objection of the Australian quarantine authorities to the use of facilities at Ballydoyle.
So You Think ran in the colours of Malaysian tycoon Dato Tan Chin Nam in Australia and while Coolmore obtained a controlling share, he still has a significant interest in the former Bart Cummings-trained entire.
Dato Tan’s racing and bloodstock manager Duncan Ramage said yesterday: “There are no real developments at the moment, it’s still at the talking stage and, of course, Coolmore will have the final say on plans for the horse.
“The quarantine issue would have to be overcome and if he were to return you would be giving up races like the Arc, the Breeders’ Cup and the new race at Ascot (Champion Stakes).
“He would have to go into quarantine on September 15, so he could run in the Irish Champion on September 3 and a decision be taken after that.’’
Ramage added: “When he was here he had races like (the Cox Plate) on his doorstep, but now he has other viable options.”
