Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Guide 2023

The rain forecast has significantly impacted the price available for Hukum, as Owen Burrows chases a first King George winner. The six-year-old is a major player, having landed huge wins at the top level.

His most eye-catching win was a four-and-a-half-length success over Pyledriver in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in June 2022.

That effort was followed up with a classy display on his seasonal reappearance in the G3 Racehorse Lotto Brigadier Gerard Stakes, beating Desert Crown by half a length. Jim Crowley takes the ride.

William Haggas-trained Hamish takes a considerable step back in trip at Ascot this weekend. He was last seen over a mile and six at York, winning the G3 Silver Cup by a head from Scriptwriter.

The seven-year-old was also a winner at Chester earlier in the season, landing the G3 Ormonde Stakes by a length and a quarter from Lone Eagle.

He has previous winning experience over course and distance after landing the G3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes in 2022, but it would be a huge shock if the Richard Kingscote runner hits the frame in this company.

Pyledriver will be looking for a second straight victory in the King George on Saturday, having beat Torquator Tasso by two and three-quarter lengths to land victory last year.

He was relatively unfancied in the betting last year, as he was sent off at 18/1 after falling to defeat over a mile and four against Hukum.

However, he has solidified his credentials already this season with a professional display over course and distance to beat West Wind Blows to land the G2 Hardwicke. However, it is fair to say that this year’s renewal is much hotter than 12 months ago.

Bolshoi Ballet will be among the outsiders in the field for a star-studded renewal of the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The five-year-old for Aidan O’Brien was last seen finishing second behind Royal Champion in the Wolferton Stakes at Ascot.

Bolshoi Ballet was encouraging on his first effort over 1 mile 4 this year, finishing a neck behind Haskoy. But, horses starting from stalls one and two in this race have yet to finish higher than third in the previous ten renewals.

Point Lonsdale also represents the Aidan O’Brien yard this weekend, but he will likely be one of his bigger-priced outsiders.

The four-year-old was beaten over a mile and four at Epsom on his previous start, finishing nine and a quarter lengths behind Emily Upjohn in the G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup.

It remains to be seen whether this trip will bring the best out of him, as he looked excellent earlier in the campaign over a mile and two to land both the G3 Alleged Stakes and G2 Huxley Stakes.

Luxembourg is another of the runners from the Aidan O’Brien yard running in the Group 1 this weekend. The four-year-old has won six from ten throughout his career, and looked at his very best when landing the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May.

However, his return to British soil didn’t go to plan on his previous start, as he finished four lengths behind Mostahdaf in the G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes. He’s not without a chance, but the lowest two stalls haven’t produced a winner in over a decade.

Westover is the sole runner in the race this weekend for Ralph Beckett. The four-year-old remains a high-class performer in Group 1s, following his sixth in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and second behind Equinox in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic earlier this year.

However, he has questions to answer this weekend after finishing second to Emily Upjohn in the G1 Coronation Cup in June over course and distance.

But, he did return to winning ways by landing the G1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud earlier this month. Rob Hornby takes the ride.

Oisin Murphy’s big ride in the race comes onboard Deauville Legend for trainer James Ferguson. The four-year-old has form to find on Pyledriver after finishing fourth behind his returning rival in the G2 Hardwicke over course and distance last month.

He could be a runner that out-runs his odds at Ascot, as that was a decent enough return to action after a 235-day break following his fourth in the G1 Melbourne Cup. Deauville Legend isn’t without a chance.

Frankie Dettori’s bid for a King George win in his final season will see him join forces with Emily Upjohn. The filly was beaten over a mile and two by Paddington on her previous start in the G1 Coral-Eclipse, but she returns over her ideal trip this weekend.

She landed the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom over a mile and four earlier this season, beating Westover by a length and three quarters.

Emily Upjohn also has previous course and distance form, beating Thunder Kiss by three lengths in the G1 British Champions Filly & Mare Stakes in October 2022. She should be much closer than her distant sixth in the race 12 months ago.

Auguste Rodin is the standout starter from the Aidan O’Brien yard this weekend, as the three-year-old chases a third straight victory over a mile and four.

The Derby winner will once again clash with King of Steel, who he beat by half a length at Epsom in June.

Auguste Rodin wasn’t as eye-catching on his previous start, beating Adelaide River by a length and a half to win the G1 Irish Derby. He is a solid contender, and deserving of his place at the top of the betting.

Kevin Stott admitted after the Derby that he felt that King Of Steel should have won the race, and he will have the opportunity to right that wrong in the King George. The Roger Varian runner out-run his odds at Epsom in June, finishing within half a length of Auguste Rodin.

However, the distance that he finished ahead of the remainder of the field solidified his place as one of the top three-year-olds this season.

King Of Steel backed up that form with a dominant display in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes, landing victory by three and a half lengths from Continuous. The Amo Racing runner holds strong claims.