Nash Rawiller has labelled King Lionheart a Tulloch Lodge surprise packet and it will come as no shock to the premier jockey if the gelding returns a winner on Saturday.
King Lionheart will carry top weight of 58kg in the Listed Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in his pipe-opener to the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm two weeks later.
The five-year-old gelding, who resumes from a let-up, will be joined in the Festival by stablemate Kontiki Park who was a strong first-up winner at Warwick Farm last Saturday week.
King Lionheart came of age during the spring carnival in Sydney, carrying 58kg to a first-up 1500m win at Rosehill before adding the Group Two Shannon Stakes over the same course and distance at his next start.
The son of Al Maher failed to back up that performance a week later when 15th in the Group One Epsom Handicap.
Rawiller hasn’t ridden King Lionheart in a race since a victory over 2200m at Warwick Farm in March and is looking forward to the Festival.
“He’s had a bit of a freshen up for these races and he seems to have thrived,” Rawiller said.
“He’s a horse that probably the stable has to some degree underestimated. He’s kept stepping up and probably surprised everyone with his form last preparation.
“He is thriving at the moment and has that bit of class on his side.”
Kontiki Park scored first-up over 1400m at Warwick Farm and will carry five kilograms less than his stablemate on the limit.
Gai Waterhouse’s stable representative Bruce Slade believes there’s little between the pair under the conditions of the race.
“We had our main two trackwork riders on them in their main gallops on the Kensington track on Tuesday and both riders were extremely happy,” Slade said.
“They worked separately and did slightly different work with Neil Paine on King Lionheart and Mark Newnham on Kontiki Park.
“I guess the only question with King Lionheart is being first-up over 1500 metres but he’s a natural front runner and he’s the class horse of the field as the weights suggest.”
Kontiki Park has won twice and finished second twice from four second-up attemtps.
“He has a touch worse barrier (14) but Tom (Berry) rides him at 53 kilos which is a nice weight relief (on King Lionheart). We think they are two very nice chances.”
Slade said both horses would progress to the Villiers on December 17 and also likely head to the Magic Millions Stayers Cup (1800m) in January.
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