Animal Kingdom’s Ascot Diary: Meet the Press

In the latest video in Animal Kingdom’s Ascot Diaries, two of his owners, John Messara of Arrowfield Stud, and Barry Irwin of Team Valor International, joined trainer Graham Motion to meet the press at Newmarket.

Earlier in the day Animal Kingdom had completed his final gallop before Tuesday’s Royal Ascot Queen Anne S. G1. He clearly pleased Motion who noted the horse’s relaxed demeanour and the change in his muscle definition during his time at Lambourn.

At the press conference Motion said simply, “I’ll never train another horse like this.”

John Messara addressed what it means to win a race at the Royal meeting. “It’s one of those bucket list issues for me. I feel very privileged to be here with the favourite for the first race on the first day and…it’s something I’ve dreamt about doing a long time.”

First run in 1840, the Queen Anne Stakes commemorates the monarch who established racing at Ascot in 1711. The race opens the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday 18 June at 2.30 pm (11.30 pm AEST).

Animal Kingdom joins the Arrowfield roster this spring at a fee of $38,500 inc. GST.
 

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