Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (16h40) looks to be the race of the season. The mile and a half Ascot showpiece has attracted 15 confirmations including the first two home in both English and Irish Derby’s against the best of the older brigade.
For the first time since 1994 the Epsom Derby first and second are on course to meet in the King George. Dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin is set to renew rivalry with King Of Steel, who ran away with the King Edward VII Stakes last month over course and distance.
Candiese Lenferna captured Auguste Rodin in action
Some argue the weight-for-age scale favours the younger horses at this time of year and Auguste Rodin, King Of Steel and Irish Derby runner-up Adelaide River will receive 11lbs from the older colts on Saturday.
Auguste Rodin followed up his Epsom success with victory in the Irish Derby at the Curragh last month, the seventh colt to do the double this century. He was a convincing winner at the Curragh when reeling in his stable companion Adelaide River, but he will need to improve on that effort on Saturday.
King Of Steel was having only his third career run at Epsom and it was his first start of the campaign too. The huge grey will not mind softer ground on this occasion and he’s another who should be involved at the finish.
It is an intriguing rematch – especially as there is still a sense that we haven’t seen the best of Auguste Rodin yet.
The quality of the older horses in opposition looks stronger than usual this year. For starters, last year’s winner Pyledriver is back to defend his crown. His co-trainer Willie Muir insists he has taken a big step forward from his Hardwicke victory last month, and he is actually the highest-rated runner in the field.
Sir Michael Stoute has won this a record six times and his 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown should improve significantly on his half-length comeback second behind Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.
The Shadwell owned Hukum was over four lengths superior to Pyledriver in last year’s Coronation Cup before spending a year on the sidelines.
Then, on his seasonal return in May, he turned over the unbeaten Desert Crown at Sandown. The 6-year-old looks set to have ideal ground conditions back up in trip this weekend.
Finally, the Gosdens star 4-year-old filly Emily Upjohn, re-united with Frankie Dettori who returns from an eight-day suspension.
She has improved immensely this season storming past Westover to win the Coronation Cup on Oaks day before giving weight and being denied only a half-length by top three-year-old Paddington in the Coral-Eclipse earlier this month. She will also benefit from the step up in trip and could emulate her famous stablemate Enable with victory on Saturday.
