“It’s a great big punt,” said Balding. “But the other horses who were in from scratch have had to pay £3,000, so I keep telling myself it’s actually a £17,000 punt, but it’s still a lot of money and responsibility.”
Spiritual Star, who has run twice, most recently winning last month over the same Newmarket course where he contests the Group One Dewhurst, is rated a potential 2,000 Guineas candidate for next year.
And that is high praise from Balding because at his family’s historic stables close to Watership Down, at Kingsclere, near Newbury, a strong team of young horses has been assembled.
Recent Salisbury winner Bonfire is being aimed at the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in France, while Dandy is another colt getting rave reviews.
“Spiritual Star is one of those horses that could be anything,” he explained. “But on the gallops he looks like quality, and is maybe the most obvious one to be very decent.
“Early on, I thought he was a proper [Royal] Ascot two-year-old, and he ran a nice third at Newbury, but afterwards, he had an x-ray issue with a knee, down to immaturity.
“So, we had to back right off him, and what is exciting is that he was only half-cooked for the Newmarket win, but he should be cherry ripe now.”
Since taking over from his father Ian in 2003, Balding, 38, younger brother of the BBC presenter Clare, has established himself amongst the very brightest training talents in Britain.
In his first season, he won the Epsom Oaks with Casual Look, external, and soon afterwards globe-trotting Phoenix Reach won a string of international races, external.
This season, however, has lacked that much longed-for ‘headline horse’.
“It’s 40 years since Dad won the Derby and Arc with Mill Reef to remind us there’s nothing like a big one,” Balding added.
“I’m happy we are having a good year numerically, but it would be great to go even further. There’s no doubt Spiritual Star has shown enough promise for it to be him.”