Saturday 23 July 2016 18:17, UK
Last year's winner Muthmir and the hat-trick-seeking Marsha feature among 20 sprinters confirmed for the Qatar King George Stakes at Goodwood on Friday.
The William Haggas-trained Muthmir went on to finish third in the Prix de l'Abbaye following his victory of 12 months ago, but has failed to hit the target in four starts this season, most recently finishing third behind Marsha in the City Walls Stakes at York.
Sir Mark Prescott's Marsha was following up a previous Listed-race success at Ayr on the Knavesmire and the horse that split the pair at York, Easton Angel, is also in the mix for Goodwood.
Other leading contenders include last year's King's Stand and Abbaye winner Goldream, who has not been seen since running in Dubai back in March, and last season's Molecomb winner Kachy as well as Take Cover who chased Muthmir home last term.
Godolphin's Jungle Cat, well beaten in the July Cup on his most recent outing, has been supplemented at a cost of £15,000.
He was fourth in this year's King's Stand Stakes and could meet second and third home Cotai Glory and Goken.
No French-trained horse has landed the King George Stakes in the post-war period but out to change that statistic is Finsbury Square.
The four-year-old is a Group 3 scorer over five furlongs this season, having taken the Prix de Saint-Georges at Deauville in May. He was subsequently third in the five-furlong Prix du Gros Chene at Chantilly on June 5 and was last seen out when fourth in the Prix de Ris-Orangis over a furlong further at Maisons-Laffitte at the end of last month.
Fabrice Chappet, who is based close to Chantilly at Lamorlaye, commented: "Finsbury Square is definitely coming over to Goodwood for the Qatar King George Stakes.
"The horse is flying at the moment. He has won over five and six furlongs and his Group Three victory came at five furlongs - he has plenty of speed.
"This will be my first visit to Goodwood so I am not sure yet how he will handle the course but the distance will suit the horse. He is a good moving horse so I think he should be able to cope with the undulations.
"He has won on both good and soft ground, although I wouldn't mind some rain for him. When was the last time it didn't rain for a week!
"Finsbury Square will be my first runner at Goodwood and the prize money is very good. It's very exciting.
"Christophe Soumillon usually rides him but has been injured and I am not sure if he will be ready to ride again by Friday. If he is unavailable, Ioritz Mendizabal will ride."
The latest going at Goodwood remains good on the straight course and good to firm, good in places on the round course.
Seamus Buckley, Goodwood's Clerk of the Course, said: "We are having a warm day and the dry weather is forecast to continue.
"We started our watering programme on Tuesday evening, with the GoingStick reading 8.5 beforehand and today's reading, after watering each night since, was 8.2 at 11am, showing that the ground is retaining moisture.
"We will carry on watering this evening and aim to maintain the current going descriptions."
