Shadwell will rely on Mostahdaf in the Oct. 21 Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse after it was revealed King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) winner Hukum will not be supplemented.
However, Mostahdaf’s connections will be keeping a close eye on the weather, with showers forecast before Champions Day.
The 5-year-old is vying for favoritism alongside Prix Dollar (G2) winner Horizon Dore after winning the Juddmonte International (G1) last time.
“Hopefully we won’t get too much rain,” said Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold. “He doesn’t want it bottomless, like it can be at Ascot. On his best form he’s bang there. He’s proven himself to be one of the best if not the best mile-and-a-quarter older horses in Europe.
The ground at Ascot was described as soft Sunday, and clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: “We’ve had 23 millimeters of rain since Wednesday, so not a huge amount compared to the rest of the country. I’d imagine we might see some good to soft in the description by end of play tomorrow.
“There’s a fine forecast until Wednesday night and the question mark is what happens after then. Originally we were forecast some showers on Thursday and Friday, but the forecast is changing and we could be more likely to get a wet end to the week with the possibility of four to six millimeters of rain.”