25 July 2023 , 10:26
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Kevin Stott is looking forward to riding in the Flat race of the season on Saturday as a member of one of racing’s hottest strike forces.
He is set to partner Derby runner-up King Of Steel in the £1.25 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes at Ascot for Amo Racing, the team owned by football agent Kia Joorabchian.
The 29-year-old grew up in Denmark, where his English father Ken settled after a career in the saddle and became a trainer. Kevin Stott’s first ambition was to become a footballer.
“I played a lot of football when I was younger,” said Stott, speaking at a British Champions Series media conference.
“Playing in a Denmark at a very high level we went around the world on tours and I was lucky enough to get scouted when I was playing at a tournament in Holland.
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“I went on a two week under-14s trial at Tottenham and unfortunately it didn’t work out.
“When I came back I had a year left in school. School wasn’t really exciting for me so when I said to Dad I was thinking of riding horses because it was an easy way of not having to spend time in school he immediately sent me over here.
“I’ve never looked back since. This is my 14th year over here now.”
Stott rode a year’s best 116 winners last year but after taking a gamble to move south from his Yorkshire stronghold this year he was recruited by Amo.
King Of Steel (right) will face off against Auguste Rodin (left) in the King George (PA)He is enjoying a record season by earnings and on the Roger Varian-trained King Of Steel, winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, he has a chance to reverse the placings from Epsom where August Rodin beat his mount by half a length.
“My career is getting better and better and to get an opportunity to ride a horse like this in a race like this is exciting,” said Stott. “It’s good for Kia and the whole team.
“The King George is probably the Flat race of the season so far with all the best horses in there, proven ones and upcoming ones.
“The first and second in the Derby going at it again for the first time since the Derby is massive. It’s great to get a second chance to see if we can turn it around but it’s not a two horse race.
“It would be incredible to turn it around because I have a lot of faith in the horse, but then Aidan O’Brien is the master and even though Auguste Rodin’s win in the Irish Derby wasn’t as visually flattering as in the English Derby, he’s still probably one of the nicest horses Aidan has trained.”