King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds: Auguste Rodin bids for glory

The King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes is the major midsummer race for the best middle-distance horses in Europe and boasts a first prize of more than £700,000 to the winner.

Quality performers like Shergar, Dancing Brave, Galileo, Montjeu and Harbinger have won the King George over the years, so who can add their name to that illustrious roll of honour and confirm themselves as the best middle-distance horse of their generation?

King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds

(Odds will display when market is available)

Auguste Rodin

An outstanding winner of the Derby last season, this Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old developed a habit of throwing in poor runs every now and then last season. He was beaten 127 lengths in this race last year when favourite, but four of his five runs since have been right up to standard and that includes three Group 1 wins.

He bounced back from a defeat at the hands of White Birch at the Curragh on his seasonal reappearance to land the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at this course last month and a reproduction of that form should be enough.

Dubai Honour

This classy six-year-old often comes up short at the top level in Britain, but he has won three Group 1 races in his career. Two of them came in Australia and he was right back to his best when landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France last time. However, he will need to improve on that form to win here and it’s hard to see him doing so given he is so exposed.

Goliath

French raider who has shown all of his best form on soft and heavy ground, so probably won’t find the quick conditions ideal. He ran well enough on fast ground at Royal Ascot last time to suggest that he can reach Group 2 standard, finishing only three and three-quarter lengths behind Isle Of Jura in the Hardwicke Stakes here. However, that form is a long way from being good enough to win this and it will be a surprise if he is capable of doing so.

Hans Anderson

Another from the O’Brien team and usually deployed as a pacemaker. That has been the case on his last three starts, when he twice made the running to ensure a strong gallop for stablemate Auguste Rodin, and a similar effort is likely once again.

Luxembourg

Probably the most underrated horse in the O’Brien team, Luxembourg has won four Group 1s and looked better than ever when landing the Coronation Cup at Epsom last time. There is no doubt that he has the talent to win a race like this, but he was a half-length behind Auguste Rodin when the pair met in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last year and that would suggest that he isn’t quite up to beating his more-illustrious stablemate.

Middle Earth

The Gosden stable has a good record in this race and father-and-son John and Thady rely solely on this four-year-old, who appeared to be improving rapidly before being turned over in the Hardwicke at this course last month. He was probably given too much to do by Oisin Murphy that day, but was behind Goliath and will need to improve significantly if he is to land his first Group 1. That is a possibility given he is lightly raced, but not a probability.

Rebel’s Romance

The Charlie Appleby-trained globetrotter has developed a good winning habit and is unbeaten in Britain. He has now won four Group/Grade 1s in a row, including in Qatar, Dubai and Hong Kong, and he also won the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland two years ago. He evidently has the talent and ability to be seriously competitive if he can transfer the form he has shown abroad to Britain. However, that remains the big question mark hanging over him.

Bluestocking

A rapidly improving filly who was unlucky not to win last season, but she appears to have grown up this year and comes here with back-to-back wins by her name. She was wildly impressive when bolting up by a long way at York on her seasonal reappearance and then did remarkably well to score at the Curragh last time, cutting down her major rival Emily Upjohn with a good turn of foot in the closing stages.

She needs to improve again to beat the boys, but there is no doubt that she is going forward fast and there could be more to come.

Sunway

The only three-year-old in the race and therefore open to the most improvement, but he needs to progress rapidly as his form isn’t up to the standard of his rivals. However, he did produce his best performance so far when second in the Irish Derby last time and might have given winner Los Angeles a race had he got going sooner.

The stiff nature of Ascot’s track is certain to suit and there might be enough improvement in the locker for him to spring a surprise. There is certainly a good chance that he can run into a place at a big price.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.