Goodwood's Gordon Stakes the new target for Derby fifth English King

Investec Derby fifth English King is to run in next Thursday's Group 3 John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood following a change of heart by trainer Ed Walker.

Frankie Dettori, who partnered English King in the Derby, has been booked again, and connections will be hoping for better luck than at Epsom, where the easy Lingfield Derby Trial winner struggled to overcome an unfavourable draw but finished so well that he might have been second had he got going a little sooner.

York's Great Voltigeur Stakes had been nominated as the more likely next target for Bjorn Nielsen's colt as recently as last weekend, but Walker is now looking to Goodwood, where English King could meet Derby runner-up Khalifa Sat and several others who ran at Epsom, including sixth-placed Mogul.

The trainer confirmed: "English King worked well this morning and is headed to Goodwood. Frankie is available again.

"It's like round two of the Derby, but he came out of that race well and he's in great form. It was always a toss-up between here and the Voltigeur, but top of the ground is quite important to him and if we get that on Thursday we'll take it rather than risk not getting it at York and then having nowhere to go."

Asked if there were any regrets about not running in Saturday's King George after seeing just three runners contest Ascot's showpiece, won by now three-time winner Enable, he said: "As a very excitable and ambitious trainer I gave the race a long look at the entry stage, but sense prevailed.

"If I was 65 rather than 35 I'd probably have been more tempted, but it wouldn't have been right for him."

John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes betting

William Hill: 3-1 English King, 4 Mogul, 5 Al Aasy, Khalifa Sat, Tiger Moth, 10 Delphi, Highland Chief, Subjectivist, 12 Order Of Australia, 16 bar

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