Kinross to Target Doncaster's Park Stakes After Sidestepping York Hat-Trick Bid

Kinross is likely to head next to Doncaster’s Park Stakes, following a tough decision by his connections to skip a potential hat-trick attempt at York last weekend.

The seven-year-old stalwart, trained by Ralph Beckett, was poised to make history by claiming his third consecutive victory in the Group Two City of York Stakes. However, he was withdrawn on the morning of the race due to unsuitable ground conditions, a move made with the long-term well-being of the dual Group One winner in mind.

This season, Kinross has yet to add to his tally of 10 career wins after three starts, including a third-place finish when attempting to secure a third victory in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood last month. With his age and history, owner Marc Chan is understandably cautious about racing conditions for his prized runner.

Kinross wins the Park Stakes @DoncasterRaces for @RalphBeckett and @FrankieDettori pic.twitter.com/Jb7Vi5IxD3

— Ashley Iveson (@AshIveson) September 11, 2022

While Kinross holds an entry in the Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 7, Doncaster’s seven-furlong Group Two Park Stakes, which he won under Frankie Dettori in 2022, is now the favored option for his next race.

Jamie McCalmont, Chan’s racing manager, explained the reasoning behind the York withdrawal, saying, "The ground was the entire reason he didn’t run at York, nothing else. It was frustrating, but Marc is very keen not to run him on extremes of ground. We’ve got an older horse here who owes us nothing, so we need to be careful."

McCalmont admitted that it was tempting to run Kinross at York, but the risk of injury on the quick ground was too great. "It was very tempting to run, believe me, but you only had to look at the times to see how quick the ground was. He just wants good ground, that’s all, and as Ralph said on Monday morning, at least we’ve still got a horse we can race. If he had run and finished poorly, we might have been looking at the end of his career."

Looking ahead, McCalmont confirmed that Doncaster’s Park Stakes is likely where Kinross will make his next appearance. "The race at Doncaster he won two years ago is probably where he’ll go. It would be nice to run in a spot where it’s the right trip, the right ground, and where the horse is in top form without any excuses."

Despite his advancing age, Kinross's connections see no reason why he won’t continue racing beyond this season if his enthusiasm remains. "Every race at this point is a bonus for us. If you saw him in the paddock at Goodwood last time, he was full of energy and eager to race, which is crucial. As long as that enthusiasm is there, there’s no reason why he can’t race next year. If he’s fit, sound, and well, we’ll keep going,"