Big Evs and Asfoora meet again in King George blitz - but another trainer thinks his sprinter is in flying form

Mick Appleby is hoping an emphasis on speed on Goodwood’s helter-skelter straight course will help Big Evs produce a career-best performance in the King George Qatar Stakes.

Big Evs won the Molecomb on unfavourable soft ground over course and distance at this meeting last year and Appleby repeated the feat with Big Mojo, also owned by RP Racing, on Wednesday.

Appleby’s stable star ended his excellent two-year-old campaign with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November and returned this season with a win in the Listed Westow Stakes at York in May.

Big Evs had to settle for third behind the reopposing Asfoora in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month, but he was only headed late on and this track should play more to his strengths. He is also 2lb better off with the winner.

Appleby said: “He's in good order. I think he probably just didn't quite get home at Ascot, but the easier five furlongs at Goodwood will suit him better and the plan is to go back to the Nunthorpe after this. It's great to see him retaining his juvenile form from last year.”

Dwyer hoping for more success with Aussie ace

Henry Dwyer is hoping to celebrate back-to-back wins on his exciting European sprint adventure with Aussie sprinter Asfoora.

Oisin Murphy’s mount defeated Regional by a length in the King Charles III Stakes and has the Nunthorpe at York and Abbaye at Longchamp on her agenda before potentially going to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

This track will pose a different test to Ascot for Asfoora, but Dwyer is confident she can back up her success at the royal meeting.

Henry Dwyer: trainer of AsfooraCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Dwyer said: “It looks competitive and the sprinters seem evenly matched, but we had a lovely run and came out on top at Ascot and hopefully the same can happen again.

“Goodwood is a tricky track and the horses with course experience have an advantage. She’s versatile though when it comes to race-position and she’s drawn really well [in stall ten], with Big Evs on her inside and Ponntos on her outside.

“She’s pretty quick out of the stalls, and if she gets a nice position, I’m hoping she’ll be mighty competitive.”

Czech sprinter Ponntos is back for more

Asfoora is not the only international representative in this high-quality 12-runner line-up as Czech sprinter Ponntos is contesting the race for the third consecutive year.

The Miroslav Nieslanik-trained six-year-old finished fifth under Frankie Dettori two years ago and sixth under Hayley Turner last year, but this season arrives in career-best form after a hat-trick in recent months.

Ponntos won a Listed race in Milan in April under Czech rider Sabina Mokrosova, who has travelled with the horse on many of his international trips and is back aboard the speedy front-runner.

Ponntos (far left): will be running in the King George for a third timeCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Mickael Barzalona, who has commitments at Clairefontaine on Friday, was aboard Ponntos for his second Prix de Saint-Georges victory at Longchamp in May and his breakthrough Group 2 triumph in the Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly the following month.

Bloodstock agent Tomas Janda, who helped Nieslanik to organise Ponntos’s trip, said: “Everything has gone perfectly with him since he’s been over in Britain and Sabina knows him really well. He’s in better form than when he's run in the race before, so we’re hoping for a better result.”

What they say

Clive Cox, trainer of Kerdos
He’s in great form and I’m really happy with him. The ground was a lot easier when he won the Temple but he didn’t run a bad race at Ascot on quicker ground. It would be favourable for him if there was a thunderstorm or two, but the course is in excellent nick regardless.

George Boughey, trainer of Believing
It’s probably one of the races of the meeting and it’s very open. She’s in as good a form as I’ve had her all year. This will be a very different test to the Curragh and she’ll need the pace to be as strong as it looks like being. She has a penalty to shoulder, but if she breaks on terms she can be very competitive.

Jack Channon, trainer of Desperate Hero
It’s a great race and spectacle for Goodwood. I was delighted with his run at Sandown, where I think the testing ground, headwind and kicking on a tad early meant he didn’t quite see it out at the end. It showed he has the speed to be competitive against Group sprinters, though, and I’m hoping he’ll be right in the mix.

Desperate Hero: has been climbing the sprinting ranks this seasonCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Tom Clover, trainer of Rogue Lightning
He ran well at York last time and a sharp five furlongs suits him. He has a good draw [in stall six] and I'm hopeful he'll run well.

Ed Walker, trainer of Makarova
She’s in the form of her life and was a little unlucky not to be second at least in Ireland last time. She’s in great shape but I’m hoping the ground isn’t too fast.

Alex Cole, racing manager to Jim and Fitri Hay, owners of Starlust
He doesn’t let us down and is unbeaten over this trip in two runs in Britain, so hopefully there is more to come. He’s versatile in every respect, including the ground.

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