Royal Ascot: Caballo De Mar heads George Scott team

Caballo De Mar will always hold a special place in the heart of George Scott and now he has the chance to play another central role in the career of his handler when bidding for Gold Cup glory at Royal Ascot.

It was the ever-improving stayer who provided the Eve Lodge handler with the top-level success he had craved when storming to Prix du Cadran glory last October and having added another Group One gong to the CV back at ParisLongchamp last month, he is ready to play his part in a race Scott has always dreamed of winning.

Scott said: “Caballo De Mar is in tremendous shape and I think going for the race in France was in hindsight a very good move. He’s come forward again for that and I can’t wait to get him over two and a half miles again.

“The Gold Cup is a standalone race in the racing calendar and I think I’m just going to enjoy the process of having a fancied runner in the race. As a racing fan I have always loved the Gold Cup and it’s very exciting for me.”

Caballo De Mar’s rise through the ranks serves as the ultimate testament to Scott’s prowess as a trainer, first scoring for the Newmarket handler off a mark of 64 in September 2024 and adding a further eight victories.

It is a phenomenal journey that now sees him line-up in one of the highlights of the Royal meeting with leading claims and while pinching himself, Scott is keen to add a touch of realism to the conversation, well aware that in Scandinavia and Rahiebb, his five-year-old will be taking on two coming forces of the staying division.

“I’m very realistic about the race and I think there are two high-class four-year-olds at the head of the market,” continued Scott.

“But my horse stays so well and they are going to have to go past him in the red zone. They might well do that but that’s where they have their question marks whereas stamina-wise, Caballo has no question marks.”

Caballo De Mar carries the Victorious Forever silks of Shaikh Nasser bin Hamed Al Khalifa and his brother Shaikh Khalid that Scott has come somewhat synonymous with in recent years.

It was in these very colours that Isle Of Jura provided the trainer with his first success at the meeting when landing an emotional Hardwicke Stakes victory in 2024, while some of Scott’s best chances in the juvenile ranks this time around will don the same strip.

When assessing his hand it is the appropriately named Efsixteen that is first off the runway, expected to step forward from her taking Newmarket bow and further justify the 350,000 guineas she commanded at the Craven Breeze-Up sale in the Albany Stakes.

She will be joined by fellow expensive purchase, £880,000-buy Mrair, who will be Coventry Stakes-bound having scored at the second time of asking at Lingfield, while completing the trainer’s deck will be Glamorize in the Queen Mary Stakes and taking Haydock winner Sea Venture in the Chesham Stakes.

Scott added: “I love Efstixteen in particular. I think she’s a high-class filly and not just an Ascot filly. I think she has a big future ahead of her and has grown a lot so I hope isn’t just one for the here and now.

“Mrair did the job nicely on his second start at Lingfield. He did what we asked of him and I left plenty to work on with him as well, he’s by no means the finished article.

“Sea Venture will go for the Chesham and was really impressive up at Haydock. If we got some rain I could see her being very effective over the seven furlongs, she deserves to take her chance.”