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19 Jul 2016

Postponed at his peak for King George defence

Eagle Top is edged out but will now stand at stud
Postponed edges out Eagle Top in the King George last year. Picture: Racingfotos.com
Roger Varian today described Postponed as the “horse of a lifetime” ahead of the odds-on favourite  running in the QIPCO-sponsored Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
Trained by Luca Cumani until this term, Varian has been responsible for Postponed’s three wins from three starts this year, including an easy win in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom last time. Like this weekend’s race, that contest forms part of the Middle Distance category of the QIPCO British Champions Series.
 “He certainly is an easy horse to like – he is really well made – a gorgeous animal – and most importantly he has the ability to go with his looks and a great temperament,” Varian said.
“He stands proud and seems to grow half an inch when having his photograph taken. He is a horse who knows he is good.
“We inherited a horse who had won a King George and I thought ‘I hope I don’t downgrade this guy!’ Mr [Luca] Cumani is a great trainer and his horses improve with time and age so Postponed was given every chance to improve.”
Postponed has developed into the best racehorse in Europe, rated 124, and is the top horse on turf over a mile and a half anywhere in the world.
Varian added: “He had two races in March this year and was in pretty hard training at the end of January. We hope this horse takes us into the autumn. It will be an achievement if he can win two King Georges and we are excited about running him on Saturday.
“Postponed is a horse of a lifetime.”
The trainer mapped out an ideal campaign after Saturday, with an attempt to win a Group One race over a mile and a quarter in the Juddmonte International at York in August, followed by the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
 Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Communications at Ascot, said: “Postponed has gone from strength to strength after winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes last year and will take a huge amount of beating.
“The ground is good to firm, good in places at the moment. There was some water put on yesterday, nothing today, and we will put some more on tomorrow. Then we will see. There is the possibility of a shower on Friday.
“Saturday has always been a destination raceday. This is the mid-summer crowning glory of the British Flat racing season. If Postponed wins again on Saturday, he will be up there with the best King George winners we have seen.”