King’s Gambit pointed at Goodwood after strong Wolferton run

King’s Gambitwill head to the Coral Glorious Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival after bouncing back to form when third in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A consistent Group-level performer for Harry Charlton, he won the London Gold Cup as a three-year-old before making the frame in races like the Hampton Court Stakes, York Stakes and Great Voltigeur.

Not disgraced on his first start in the Wathnan Racing silks in Qatar in February, he then underwhelmed in Newbury’s Aston Park Stakes on his return to British racing.

However, he showed his true colours at the Royal meeting when beaten only a length and a half by Haatem, with Charlton now looking forward to returning to a mile and a half on the Sussex Downs next month.

Charlton said: “I thought he ran a huge race at Royal Ascot as he was drawn wide and got caught further back than ideal so I thought he did well to make up so much ground on Haatem who A, is a good horse, but B, got the perfect trip round under James Doyle.

“When you watch it back it would have been remarkable if he had caught him up, so I thought it was a huge run and it was great to see him back to his consistent, usual self after a poor run really at Newbury.

“He’s a hugely consistent horse and the plan is to head for the Group Three 12-furlong race at Glorious Goodwood which has Qatari sponsorship.”