Jubilant John Gosden eyes King George for Jack Hobbs

Jack Hobbs made a dazzling return in Dubai on Saturday. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Jack Hobbs is to be aimed at the QIPCO-sponsored King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 29 after his decisive success in the Dubai Sheema Classic on World Cup night at Meydan.

The strapping John Gosden-trained colt, owned by Godolphin, was a runaway winner of the Irish Derby in 2015 but suffered a pelvis injury last season and completed only one race – when finishing third in the QIPCO Champion Stakes for the second successive year.

However, on the evidence of his emphatic win in Dubai, under William Buick in first-time blinkers, he is going to be a force in all this year’s top middle-distance races.

Jack Hobbs breezed clear of three rivals who have all won at least one race in the QIPCO British Champions Series – Seventh Heaven (second), Postponed (third) and the disappointing Highland Reel (last of seven).

“We had a quiet year last year, but his form at Ascot [behind Almanzor and Found in the Champion Stakes] was rock solid,” Gosden said. “He’s a lovely horse. He’s got semi-blinkers on, they’re only little, but in the Champion Stakes he spent the whole time dreaming.”

Looking to future plans, he added: “With a horse like this, after they’ve run here you need to freshen them up and I would like to look at the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot and then the King George, which are ideal races for him.”

Buick said: “He’s a classy horse, the blinkers probably have helped. He gave me a great feel throughout and was very impressive.”

O’Brien said of his two runners: “Highland Reel had quite an exacting year and this was his first run back on ground that wasn’t ideal for him.

“For the filly [Seventh Heaven] it was also her first run back and I was delighted with her, it sets her up nicely for the coming months.”

Andrea Atzeni said of the Roger Varian-trained Postponed: “The pace was a bit slow for my horse, which I was a little bit worried about in such a small field, and on that ground he didn’t find the gears that we all know he possesses.”

In the Dubai Turf, earlier on the card, Ribchester finished a length third to Vivios, with Mutakayyef fifth.