Horse Racing

Royal Ascot News: Woods not put off by Savvy Victory's outsider status in the King Edward VII

Tom ReedTom Reed17 June 2022
Racegoers at Royal Ascot

Racegoers at Royal Ascot

Sean Woods isn't fazed by underdog status for Savvy Victory who he thinks could outrun his odds at Royal Ascot in the King Edward VII Stakes on Friday, June 17.

Sean Woods' Savvy Victory is the outsider of the six runner field for Friday's King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot but the trainer feels he may surprise a few people.

The New Bay Colt has finished third in small runner fields behind Aidan O'Brien's Changingoftheguard and Charlie Appleby's Ottoman in his latter pair of runs but Woods reckons he could go even closer at Ascot.

"He is a very, very good horse and things haven't gone quite right in the two trials," said Woods.
"We tried to prep him for the Derby and obviously Chester became a quagmire and he didn't like it and Changingoftheguard beat him fair and square, but he didn't like the (soft) ground one bit.
"If you watched the race at Newmarket, he filled me with confidence that he was always going to be the winner and got interfered with four of five times in a five-runner race.
"He travelled exceptionally well, but he did not come down the hill at all. Going into the dip, he was all over the place, and that is why we made the decision not to go forward for the Derby. This race has always been the plan since then."

Savvy Victory is available at 22/1 on the day of the race which is pretty big for a six horse heat but Woods feels this is a good chance to show what he can do on the top stage.

"I could not be happier with him," he added. "We had to run him quicker than we would have normally done. Chester to Newmarket was only 10 days and then we went from there. The horse, in himself, is in great form.
"He is a very good-moving horse and you'd like to think if anybody would produce safe, good to firm ground, it is Ascot.
"His form ties in with a few of them. I do like him and his work has been exceptional. He worked on the Limekilns on quick ground and he quickened away from his two lead horses and he had a blow-out on Wednesday morning and I'm delighted with him."

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