Cima de Triomphe not a definite starter for King George

CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (Galileo [Ire]) is not certain to make the line-up for

Saturday's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1) at Ascot, according to

his connections. Moved to Newmarket-based trainer Luca Cumani at the beginning

of the year, last year's Derby Italiano (Ity-G1) hero ran sixth in the April 26

Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) at Longchamp in his debut for his new stable before bagging

the May 28 Brigadier Gerard S. (Eng-G3) at Sandown, and was a last-out fourth in

the July 4 Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) back at the Esher track.

"We're not sure what we are going to do yet and we are still debating with

the owner whether he is going to run or not," Cumani told PA Sport. "The horse

is fine and everything has gone well since the Eclipse, but we just have to make

a decision what we are going to do later in the week. If we do take our chance,

the step up to a mile and a half won't be a problem as he has always shown that

would be fine for him. One always hopes he can improve as the year progresses,

but obviously he needs to. If he does take his chance at the weekend, the plan

would be for Christophe Lemaire to ride him again."

Trainer Ralph Beckett, hoping for a change of luck for stable star LOOK HERE

(Hernando [Fr]), sees the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. as an ideal

opportunity for a change of fortune. The four-year-old distaffer was beaten two

noses when third in the June 5 Coronation Cup (Eng-G1) at Epsom in her seasonal

return, and occupied the same berth in the June 27 Pretty Polly S. (Ire-G1) at

the Curragh last time.

"They went too slow for her at the Curragh and if she'd seen daylight she'd

never have got home," Beckett explained. "It rained the night before (the Pretty

Polly) and during racing which made the ground sticky, and she just couldn't

change gear out of it. I think she would be fine over a mile and a quarter if

they went a good gallop, and it isn't impossible at all that she will drop back

again later in the season. Sometimes you go for a race and feel you are up

against it, and at the Curragh it was one of those days. It was her first time

abroad, it rained, there was no gallop and, in the end, I came away delighted

that she'd managed to finish third.

I think the King George is the right race for her, and I feel that a mile and

a half at an even clip round Ascot will see her in a good light. Obviously, the

formbook tells us we can't beat CONDUIT (Ire) (Dalakhani), but it's a horse race

and stranger things happen. We're going there hopeful."

Having commenced the irrigation process on Monday, Ascot's course officials

are confident the current good-to-firm going will be maintained for the start of

the three-day King George meet on Friday.

"We have had no significant rain for several days now," clerk of the course

Chris Stickells said. "We started watering on Monday because we had gone firm in

a few places. We put 10 millimeters on the straight course and the old mile

course, and this was completed mid-afternoon (Tuesday). The forecast is for a

dry day on Wednesday, then showers on Thursday and Friday, although they are not

going to be heavy. The ground is good-to-firm now, and I expect to be starting

the meeting on something similar on Friday."