King heading to Burghley - but without Imperial Cavalier

By Ben Baker, Sportsbeat

MARY King admits it's a case of horses for courses ahead of her trip to the Burghley Horse Trials - but the Olympic silver medallist insists she will be all guns blazing in Lincolnshire.

HEDGING BETS: Mary King will not take her strongest horse to Burghley - but she's has high hopes of victory (Getty Images)

The 49-year-old will compete at Burghley, the penultimate leg of the HSBC FEI Classics series, bidding to recapture the title for the first time since 1996 against the cream of the three-day eventing crop.

King will take horses Apache Sauce and King's Temptress with her to Burghley but will leave Imperial Cavalier - the pick of her stable - wrapped in cotton wool.

The World Equestrian Games are set to take place just three weeks after Burghley in Kentucky where King will bid to add to her four team gold medals.

As a result, Imperial Cavalier will not be risked, but King is adamant that does not mean she will be merely going through the motions at Burghley.

"I am really looking forward to getting out at Burghley - it is one of my favourite competitions," said King.

"I am not riding Imperial Cavalier there because we are off to Kentucky for the World Equestrian Games and I wanted to keep him in pristine shape.

"I have been at Burghley a few times and had relative success there and even though my focus would be mainly on the World Games I am still looking to go there and have a good run out.

"The good thing is that both the horses have been to Burghley before and both have had relatively good success there and that bodes well.

"I suppose I would like to get into the top ten with both horses - that would be a great performance. I think I am unlikely to win it but you never know what will happen and hopefully I can surprise myself."