Jessica Harrington will wait until Thursday morning before deciding whether to run Green Impact in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
Winner of two of his three starts of a juvenile, the Wootton Bassett colt has this season finished sixth in both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish Derby at the Curragh, with a Listed success at Leopardstown sandwiched in between.
The three-year-old is being readied for another trip across the Irish Sea this weekend, but whether he heads to Ascot to tackle a mile and a half in the King George or drops back to a mile and a quarter for the Sky Bet York Stakes remains to be seen.
“No decision has been made, we’re looking at the ground and we probably won’t make a final decision until declaration time on Thursday morning,” Harrington told Sky Sports Racing.
“I’ve been in touch with Marc Chan (owner) and his racing manager Jamie McCalmont and we’re open to both options. I’m not sure, depending on the ground, which option we’ll be going for.
“I just want good ground, I don’t want the ground too soft or too firm, just nice ground.
“He seemed to get the mile and a half well at the Curragh, he’s won over a mile and one (furlong) and he won as a two-year-old over a mile, so I think either distance will be fine for him.
“I think he will improve and has improved each time. He was just unlucky in the Irish Derby, it wasn’t run entirely to how he wanted it and he got too far back, but those things happen in those races.”
Rebel’s Romance finished third in last year’s King George and is poised for a second attempt following his course and distance success in the Hardwicke Stakes last month.
His seven previous victories at the highest level have been achieved on foreign soil, but jockey William Buick is confident he can hold his own in what he describes as an “elite Group One” in Britain.
He said: “In a King George he’s what you need – he’s very versatile tactically and he can race any which way.
“He does prefer fast ground, so hopefully we will get that, but he’s tough – he showed that in the Hardwicke.
“He’s been at the top level now for a number of years and the others are going to have to be at their very best.
“He was third in the King George last year and it is an elite Group One. It’s the summer highlight and one of the best races we have.
“But if you go back through Rebel’s Romance’s form, when he won the Sheema Classic that was an elite field and he goes there in very good form.”
With Juddmonte’s retained rider Colin Keane serving a suspension, Oisin Murphy will get back on board Andrew Balding’s top-class filly Kalpana, who has finished third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and second in the Pretty Polly Stakes in two trips to Ireland this year.
“I feel really sorry for Colin because anyone can fall foul of the whip rules and it’s disappointing that he has to sit such a long time out,” said Murphy.
“Obviously the King George takes a bit of winning, but if she got her ideal conditions, which would be just slower than good ground, you’d think she’ll have a massive chance.
“I think she’s very good, her work has been excellent throughout the year, 10 furlongs is a bit sharp for her but she loomed up the last day like she was going to win and she’s a special one to have in the stable.”