John Gosden has looked at the Champion Stakes at Ascot for King Of Comedy's next race with the end of the season Group 1 contest a serious chance for the three year old to land his first black type win of his career.
King Of Comedy is a horse that goes under the radar at the Gosden yard but from what he has done so far in his career he is a force to be reckoned with.
The colt has only had five starts to date with two of them coming as a juvenile where he showed plenty of ability getting off the mark on his debut and then finishing a good second in a big fielded Novice Stakes at Redcar.
He has come on a hell of a lot since those days as a two year old and at the start of his campaign this season, he had matured into his coat nicely and looked a much stronger and powerful athlete.
He started in a Novice event at Yarmouth seeing off a 14 runner field with ease, with the second that day also going on to be a very smart horse, recently winning at the Goodwood festival.
From there he went to Sandown and stepped up to Listed class in the Heron Stakes and again went on to beat a good field of runners including Sir Michael Stoute's Sangarius who landed the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.
With Royal Ascot, King Of Comedy was entered into the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes in another huge step up in trip and he was well back in the market and made that count finishing a narrow second, just being touched off by Aidan O'Brien's Circus Maximus but beating stablemate Too Darn Hot who has since won two Group 1s in two different countries.
The three year old is one of the biggest form horses in the sport at the moment and will be sure to give a bold showing on British Champions Day is he is to officially race in the Champion Stakes.
(Credit At The Races) Gosden said: “I said after the St James’s Palace Stakes that the Champion Stakes would be an obvious target. I think it will be right up his alley.
“We’ve freshened him up and given him a break since Ascot. He was on the go fairly early in the spring.“I think in the end his best trip is going to be a mile and a quarter and he likes Ascot. He’ll be suited by the trip and the track.
“He’s going to run in the Juddmonte International and he wouldn’t necessarily go straight to Ascot as he’s been entered in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes as well. He’s going the right way and we’ve always thought enough of him.”
The horses entered for the contest have won no fewer than 32 Group 1 victories between them and 10 European Classics, some of the big names include Crystal Ocean, Nassau Stakes winner Deirdre and wonder-mare Enable.