Respiratory infection rules Postponed out of Ascot, which may not be a bad thing

Andrea Atzeni rides Postponed to win The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup at Epsom Racecourse on June 4, 2016 in Epsom, England. Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

ASCOT, ENGLAND // In the grand scheme of things Postponed missing the defence of his crown in Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot may be no bad thing in the long run.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s five-year-old Bay was ruled out of Britain’s now weak-looking mid-summer showpiece on Wednesday after he put in a lacklustre piece of work on the Newmarket gallops and was later found to have a respiratory infection.

It leaves Dartmouth, the ride of Olivier Peslier, in pole position to hand the Queen her second victory in the 2,400-metre Group 1 after Aureole won the contest named after her parents in 1954.

Trainer Michael Stoute will be no doubt eyeing a record sixth win in the race, too.

Trainer Roger Varian was understandably disappointed at the news, but signed off his bulletin in upbeat fashion.

See also:

• Geoffrey Riddle: Postponed aims to become only third horse to win back-to-back King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

• Geoffrey Riddle: Postponed aims to defend Sheema Classic crown in Dubai following Coronation Cup win at Epsom

“As is always the case, the interests of the horse must come first,” he said. “If he is not 100 per cent, the only sensible thing to do is not to run.

“We will let the horse recover from this setback before making a plan of where he runs next. We still have many big days ahead to look forward to.”

The recovery time for standard respiratory infections can be anything from a week to two at best, barring any complications or myriad other factors that play out in a modern racing stable.

Postponed’s illness, therefore, is almost certainly going to also rule him out from his proposed run over 2,000 metres in the International Stakes at York on August 17.

The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, held this year in Chantilly in October, has always been the ultimate goal this season.

No five year old has prevailed in the European finale since 2002 when Godolphin’s Marienbard became just the fifth horse of that age or older to win in Paris since the race was first run in 1920.

Postponed has been on the go since January, and was in full work then before shipping to become the first horse to win both the Dubai City Of Gold and Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Although Varian tried his best on Tuesday at a press conference in London to allay fears that the Arc may well be one dance too many were his stable star to motor through the British Flat season, an enforced mid-summer break is probably just what Postponed needs if he is to mount a meaningful bid in France in the autumn and beyond.

It just may not feel like it now.

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