David Elsworth is excited at the prospect of saddling Sir Dancealot in Hong Kong next weekend.
The four-year-old has performed with great credit this year, getting his head in front on four occasions, including in Group Two company at Goodwood and Newbury.
The gelding has also finished a close fifth in the Prix de l’Abbaye and the Champions Sprint at Ascot.
Elsworth is nearing his 79th birthday – but his enthusiasm for training remains undimmed in the autumn of a hugely successful career that has seen him succeed at the sport’s highest reaches – over jumps and on the Flat.
He said: “We’d been thinking about the Hong Kong races for a while, but there isn’t a race at seven furlongs. My first thought was to stretch him out for the Mile, but I discussed things with his jockey Gerald Mosse.
“Gerald has a lot of Hong Kong experience and after discussing things we decided the Mile looked tough and that Sir Dancealot would be better suited by six furlongs, good ground and a strong pace – so the Sprint is the way we went.”
While not underestimating the task ahead, Elsworth clearly holds his stable star in high regard.
“It’s a high-class race, of course it is, but Sir Dancealot has done nothing wrong all year – he’s the only one coming out from Europe for the Sprint, so we’ll give it a go,” he said.
“His one poor run was at Haydock when the ground was heavy. He’s only a four-year-old, but he’s improved all year and hopefully he’ll have a few more seasons in him yet.”
