A thrilling renewal of the
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) is in
prospect at Ascot this Saturday, July 27.
The latest confirmations for
the £1,065,000 million contest, run over a mile and a half, were made yesterday
and 10 contenders are currently on course for the midsummer highlight at Ascot,
following the news this morning of an injury to St Nicholas Abbey who had been
a leading contender. 
Cirrus Des Aigles (now 13/8 favourite with
Betfair) was the world's highest-rated horse at the start of the year and has a
fine record at Ascot, having won the 2011 QIPCO Champion Stakes and finishing
second to the mighty Frankel in the same race in 2012. Christophe Soumillon
will ride the seven-year-old who was disappointing on his reappearance run at
Saint-Cloud on June 23 when he could only finish fifth behind another of
Saturday's runners Novellist (4/1). The Andreas Wohler-trained Novellist
won that race by a length and a quarter and has been victorious on his last
three starts. Germany's top horse bids to become the country's second winner of
the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by Betfair)
following Danedream's success last year.
Another notable contender
is the Jim Bolger-trained Trading Leather (9/2) whose Dubai Duty Free
Irish Derby victory has propelled him into contention for the Ascot showpiece.
The step up to a mile and a half saw the three-year-old son of Teofilo secure a
decisive length and three-quarters success.
Owner Sheikh Hamdan Al
Maktoum, successful with Nashwan in 1989, is set to be represented by Ektihaam
(7/1). On his most recent start, the Roger Varian-trained colt unshipped rider
Paul Hanagan after slipping on the turn at Ascot in the Group Two Hardwicke
Stakes at the Royal Meeting on June 22.
The Mark Johnston-trained Universal
(16/1) is a definite runner in the race. He has progressed readily this term,
taking the step up from handicap company to Group races in his stride.
Following his fourth win of the summer by two and a half lengths in the Group
Two Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket, the four-year-old Dubawi colt
steps up to Group One company for the first time.
Bruce Raymond, racing manager
to Universal's owner Abdulla Al Mansoori, said: "I spoke to Mark
Johnston's stable on Monday and Universal is in top form. All is good with the
horse and Mark is very happy with him.
"The faster the
ground on Saturday, the better for him. Faster ground may not suit some of the
others in the race, but it will really suit us.
"Obviously, he has
got a bit to find on ratings but has made tremendous progress so far this
season and is a horse going the right way so it makes sense to have a go with
him."
Hillstar (13/2), trained by Sir
Michael Stoute, was supplemented at a cost of £75,000 and bids to give his
trainer a record sixth win in the race. The three-year-old colt was last seen
winning Royal Ascot's Group Two King Edward VII Stakes by a length, defeating the
Investec Derby fourth Battle of Marengo.
An interesting contender
is Very Nice Name (20/1)from Qatar who will be ridden by Olivier
Peslier. The four-year-old has not raced since he finished a creditable three
and a half lengths second to St Nicholas Abbey in the Dubai Sheema Classic at
Meydan on March 30 and looks unexposed.
With St Nicholas Abbey
absent because of a career-ending injury, trainer Aidan O'Brien could run Ernest
Hemingway (16/1), successful in the Group Three Curragh Cup last time out and
Chamonix (66/1).
Ed Dunlop's globetrotting
superstar Red Cadeaux (25/1), who finished ninth last time out at Royal
Ascot in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, completes the entries going forward.
Going
The going at Ascot is
currently Good to Firm.
Clerk of the Course Chris
Stickels reported this morning: "We had around two millimetres of rain
overnight and more this morning, giving a total of around seven and a half
millimetres.
"The going
description remains good to firm and there is a chance of more thunderstorms
today. It may change as the day goes on but at the moment that is where we are.
We will review the situation as regards to watering after we have seen what
today brings.
"It is a great shame
what happened to St Nicholas Abbey but we still have a great line-up for the
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by Betfair) including
the world's best horse Cirrus Des Aigles."
Latest Betfair Sportsbook
odds: 13/8
Cirrus Des Aigles; 4/1 Novellist; 9/2 Trading Leather; 13/2 Hillstar; 7/1
Ektihaam; 16/1 Ernest Hemingway; Universal; 20/1 Very Nice Name; 25/1 Red
Cadeaux; 66/1 Chamonix
EW Terms: 1/4 Odds | 3
Places
Timeform Weight-Adjusted
Ratings
142 - CIRRUS DES AIGLES
131 - EKTIHAAM
130 - UNIVERSAL
130 - RED
CADEAUX
130 - NOVELLIST
129 - TRADING LEATHER
129 - VERY NICE NAME
125 - HILLSTAR
125 - ERNEST HEMINGWAY
123 - CHAMONIX
Five-day confirmations
have also been made for Saturday's £100,000 The Cash Out Multiples Only On
Betfair International Handicap over seven furlongs. The consistent Hawkeyethenoo,
trained in Scotland by Jim Goldie, tops the weights on 9st 10lb, with the Julie
Camacho-trained Diescentric the current favourite at 7/1 with Betfair.
Diescentric has made rapid
progress this summer to win his last two starts, both over seven furlongs. His
most recent success came at Newcastle with a decisive two and a half length win
in a competitive handicap on June 29.
The Roger Varian trained-Ashaadd
(14/1) is another horse who comes into the race in great form. The son of
Dansili has won his last two starts over seven furlongs, looking on the
upgrade.
Last year's winner Field
of Dream (11/1) runs in this year's renewal as he attempts to defend his
crown. Jamie Osborne's contender seems to have hit form at the right time after
he stayed on dourly under Adam Kirby at Newmarket's July Course to beat Es
Que Love (16/1), who could also head to Ascot on Saturday, by a length in
the Bunbury Cup on July 13.
Lightning Cloud (12/1) was co-favourite
for this race last year before finishing a disappointing 21st. However, his
latest one and a quarter length win over course and distance on June 21 in the
Buckingham Palace Handicap was impressive. Additionally, Lightning Cloud has
run well in defeat, with a notable display coming when he was seventh, beaten
seven and a half lengths, by Saturday's favourite Diescentric at Doncaster on
June 1.
Queensberry Rules (11/1) trained by William
Haggas, comes into the race as one of the most unexposed in the field, having
only run four times and only seeing a racecourse for the first time in April.
The three-year-old came third in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot on his
latest start, finishing three quarters of a length adrift of the winner Roca
Tumu.
Clive Cox could be
represented by the progressive four-year-old Dream Tune (14/1), who was
a good second behind Lightning Cloud in the Buckingham Palace Handicap. The son
of Oasis Dream has never finished out of the first five over seven furlongs.
English actress and model
Elizabeth Hurley will judge the best turned out prize for the Cash Out
Multiples Only On Betfair International Handicap and present the trophy to the
winning connections.
Latest Betfair Sportsbook
odds: 7/1
Diescentric; 11/1 Field Of Dream, Queensberry Rules; 12/1 Lightning Cloud,
Prince Of Johanne; 14/1 Hawkeyethenoo, Bertiewhittle, Dream Tune, Ashaadd; 16/1
Es Que Love, Redvers; 18/1 Santefisio; 20/1 My Freedom, Excellent Guest, Loving
Spirit, Famous Poet, Homage, Muharrib, Correspondent; 25/1 Sirius Prospect,
Shamaal Nibras, Asatir, Smarty Socks, The Confessor, Boots And Spurs, Galician;
28/1 Capaill Liath; 33/1 Les Troyens, Palace Moon, Brae Hill, Henry The
Aviator, Gatepost, Head Of Steam, Trail Blaze, Glen Moss, Poetic Dancer,
Compton; 40/1 Pied A Terre, Rebellious Guest, Docofthebay, Graphic,
Justonefortheroad, Al Muheer, Georgian Bay, Farlow, Sacrosanctus, Hefner, Hi
There, Ducal; 50/1 Askaud, Ocean Tempest, Shamdarley, Common Touch
EW Terms: 1/4 Odds | 5
Places
THE KING
GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (SPONSORED BY BETFAIR)
Group 1,
Class 1, £1,065,000 Total Prize Fund. One mile and four furlongs,
3.50pm, Ascot, Saturday, July 27, 2013. For three-year-olds and upwards.
Weights: three-year-old colts and geldings 8st 9lb, fillies 8st 6lb;
four-year-old and up colts and geldings 9st 7lb, fillies 9st 4lb; southern
hemisphere allowance: 4yo 4lb. Entries made June 11, entries revealed June 12
(29 entries), scratchings' deadline July 9 (14 remained), five-day confirmation
& £75,000 supplementary entry stage July 22 (10 confirmations plus one
supplementary entry), final declarations July 25. Form figures up to and
including the racing of Sunday, July 21.
Form
Horse Age/Wgt
Owner Trainer
61114-5 CHAMONIX
(IRE) 4-9-07 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor &
Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
(2)112d12-5
CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR) 7-9-07 Jean-Claude-Alain
Dupouy
Corine Barande-Barbe FR
1202-31S EKTIHAAM
(IRE) 4-9-07 Hamdan Al
Maktoum Roger Varian
(1)70(2)-41
ERNEST HEMINGWAY (IRE) 4-9-07 Sue Magnier, Michael
Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
11241-11 NOVELLIST
(IRE) 4-9-07 Dr Christoph
Berglar Andreas Wohler GER
001-(2)300
RED CADEAUX 7-9-07 The Hon Ronald
Arculli Ed Dunlop
3303-11 ST
NICHOLAS ABBEY (IRE) 6-9-07 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael
Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
(0)(2)(1)1131
UNIVERSAL (IRE) 4-9-07 Abdulla Al Mansoori Mark
Johnston
2311-1113
VERY NICE NAME (FR) 4-9-07 H H Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al
Thani Alban de Mieulle QTR
41-221
HILLSTAR 3-8-09 Sir Evelyn De Rothschild
Sir Michael Stoute
115-2311 TRADING
LEATHER (IRE) 3-8-09 Jackie
Bolger Jim Bolger IRE
THE
FOLLOWING 5 HORSES HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED: HUNTER'S LIGHT (IRE), MOUNT ATHOS
(IRE), MUKHADRAM, BATTLE OF MARENGO (IRE), MARS (IRE)
11 go
forward at five-day stage (10 confirmations plus 1 supplementary entry
(Hillstar)
4
Irish-trained
1
French-trained
1
German-trained
1
Qatari-trained
CASH OUT
MULTIPLES ONLY ON BETFAIR INTERNATIONAL HANDICAP
Class 2,
Heritage Handicap, £100,000 Total Prize Fund. Seven
furlongs. 3.15pm, Ascot, Saturday, July 27, 2013. For three-year-olds and
upwards. Weights: highest weight not less than 9st 10lb; minimum weight 8st.
Penalties, after June 29, a winner 3lb; of 2 or more races 5lb.Entries closed,
June 25, entries revealed June 26, (89 entries), weights revealed July 3,
scratchings deadline July 9 (81 remained) five-day confirmation stage Monday,
July 22 (55 remain). Final declaration stage 10.00am, Thursday, July 25.
Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the
racing of Sunday, July 21. May not include some overseas form. The top-weighted
horse is rated 108.
Form
Animal Age
Owner Trainer
02-4465 HAWKEYETHENOO
(IRE) 7-9-10 Johnnie Delta Racing Jim
Goldie
00(1)-311
DIESCENTRIC (USA) 6-9-08 Axom
(XVIII) Julie Camacho
426224
DON'T CALL ME (IRE) 6-9-07 Matt & Lauren
Morgan David Nicholls
(0)30040 SANTEFISIO
7-9-06 Weldspec Glasgow Limited Keith Dalgleish
03-3(0)(3)03
DUBAWI SOUND 5-9-04 Pearl Bloodstock
Ltd David Brown
2026-(0)00
PIED A TERRE (AUS) 5-9-04
Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
34(3)-040
SIRIUS PROSPECT (USA) 5-9-04 Miss N
Yarrow Dean Ivory
0(5)5(6)061
FIELD OF DREAM 6-9-03 (3lb Ex) Ken
Gundlach Jamie Osborne
03-3001 LIGHTNING
CLOUD (IRE) 5-9-02 Hambleton Racing Ltd XVIII Kevin
Ryan
006-0201 PRINCE
OF JOHANNE (IRE) 7-9-05 (3lb Ex) David
Storey Tom Tate
600205223
ES QUE LOVE (IRE) 4-9-01 Crone Stud Farms
Ltd Mark Johnston
400-4(0)10
MY FREEDOM (IRE) 5-9-01
Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
0-(4)(5)5235
SHAMAAL NIBRAS (USA) 4-9-01 Saeed
Altayer Ismail Mohammed
5000-100 EXCELLENT
GUEST 6-9-00 John Guest
Racing George Margarson
046-2020 BERTIEWHITTLE
5-8-13 Norton Common Farm Racing II&JKB Johnson David Barron
(0)(0)(2)-2206
LES TROYENS 5-8-13
Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
(0)202301001
GALICIAN
4-8-11 (5lb Ex) Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
03(6)0-015
ASATIR (USA) 4-8-11
Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
00(0)-500
PALACE MOON 8-8-11 Canisbay
Bloodstock William Knight
60-00102 SMARTY
SOCKS (IRE) 9-8-11 Direct Racing Partnership David
O'Meara
325-4105 REDVERS
(IRE) 5-8-11 M J C and E J C Hawkes Ed
Vaughan
125-552 DREAM
TUNE 4-8-11 Al Asayl Bloodstock
Ltd Clive Cox
0-305000 BRAE
HILL (IRE) 7-8-10 Dr Marwan
Koukash Richard Fahey
(3)02-(2)06
LOVING SPIRIT 5-8-10 Loving Spirit
Partnership James Toller
(1)24(1)2-206
FAMOUS POET (IRE) 4-8-10
Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
(1)133
QUEENSBERRY RULES (IRE) 3-8-09 Liam
Sheridan William Haggas
0/400-00 REBELLIOUS
GUEST 4-8-08 John Guest Racing
George Margarson
300-331 THE
CONFESSOR 6-8-08 Six Too Many
Henry Candy
61-4000 JUSTONEFORTHEROAD
7-8-08 The Pontoon Partnership Richard Fahey
65-20110 BOOTS
AND SPURS 4-8-08 Colin
Bryce Elaine Burke
(1)(1)-40614
CORRESPONDENT 3-8-07 Poilin
Good Brian Meehan
(0)40-5161
ASHAADD (IRE) 3-8-07 (3lb Ex) Sheikh Ahmed Al
Maktoum Roger Varian
230-(2)041
GLEN MOSS (IRE) 4-8-06 (3lb Ex) John
Grant Charles Hills
(4)(1)-(4)014
HEAD OF STEAM (USA) 6-8-06 George
Materna Amanda Perrett
0-(0)00010
CAPAILL LIATH (IRE) 5-8-06 T A
Rahman Kevin Ryan
215-0436 TRAIL
BLAZE (IRE) 4-8-06 Mr & Mrs Julian & Rosie
Richer Kevin Ryan
00601-0 SACROSANCTUS
5-8-06 Paul Dixon Scott Dixon
416-0060 COMMON
TOUCH (IRE) 5-8-05 Broughton Thermal Insulation
Willie Musson
0(6)(5)(5)-206
POETIC DANCER 4-8-05 The
Laureates Clive Cox
360-R444 DUCAL
5-8-04 The Icebreakers Mike Murphy
4-60005 COMPTON
4-8-04 The Morley
Family Robert Cowell
4-102046 HI
THERE (IRE) 4-8-04 Market Avenue Racing Club
Ltd Richard Fahey
100-365 HEFNER
(IRE) 4-8-03 Clive
Washbourn Marco Botti
(0)03-562(1)
SHAMDARLEY (IRE) 5-8-02 (3lb Ex) Andrew
Tinkler Marco Botti
005-005 FARLOW
(IRE) 5-8-02 Red Sky Partnership
1 Richard Fahey
(1)55-(3)406
GEORGIAN BAY (IRE) 3-8-01 P
O'Grady Elaine Burke
05310053
AL MUHEER (IRE) 8-8-00 Antigua Cavaliers
& Ruth Carr Ruth Carr
0(0)1(2)1-32
MUHARRIB (IRE) 3-8-00
Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
(2)(5)0(5)011
ASKAUD (IRE) 5-7-13 (3lb Ex) Paul
Dixon Scott Dixon
50-0304 GATEPOST
(IRE) 4-7-13 Dr Marwan
Koukash Richard Fahey
01-503(3)
OCEAN TEMPEST 4-7-13 Bill McLuskey & C
Little John Ryan
32(1)-12 HOMAGE
(IRE) 3-7-11 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Dalmeny
Jeremy Noseda
60(0)-00(4)3
GRAPHIC (IRE) 4-7-10 The Royal Ascot
Racing Club William Haggas
(1)(2)21331
HENRY THE AVIATOR (USA) 3-7-09 (3lb Ex) Crone Stud Farms
Ltd Mark Johnston
062000
DOCOFTHEBAY (IRE) 9-7-08 Paul
Dixon Scott Dixon
55
five-day confirmations
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