With the Qatar Goodwood Festival kicking off next week, we have much to look forward to on the racing front. The Sussec bonanza may be the main course, but Saturday serves up a decent appetiser, headlined by the Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Held over the mile and a half distance and offering a handsome £1.25m in total prize money, the race boasts a glittering roll of honour, with Brigadier Gerard, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Shergar, Dancing Brave, Nashwan, Montjeu, and Enable just a selection of the stellar names to have come home in front.
The race has lost a little lustre in the current century, falling further behind similar global contests – most notably the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – in terms of prestige and value. Nevertheless, the King George remains a race well worth winning and a major draw for the leading British and Irish trainers.
Here, we look at the 2024 field and pick out our best betting options for what promises to be a fascinating renewal.
2024 Runners and Riders
- Auguste Rodin, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Ryan Moore – Six-time Group/Grade 1 winner, including the Derby (2023), Irish Derby (2023), and Breeders Cup Turf (2023) over this distance. He can throw in the odd howler – finished stone last in the 2023 edition of this – but showed a liking for the track when landing the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes last time out. The joint top-rated in the field and boasts solid claims.
- Dubai Honour, Trainer: William Haggas, Jockey: Tom Marquand – Likeable globe-trotting six-year-old who has served the Haggas yard with distinction. He’s a three-time winner at the highest level, but all three victories have come on foreign soil. At his best on softer ground, which he is unlikely to get here.
- Goliath, Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard, Jockey: Christophe Soumillon – Sole French runner in the field, who steps into Group 1 company for the first time. Dual winner at the distance, but each of those came in soft-ground events in France. Stayed on for second in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over course and distance last time but may lack the gears required.
- Hans Anderson, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Sean Levey – Frankel colt who has failed to live up to his pedigree promise. Did pick up a Group 3 at Leopardstown in 2023, but is zero from five in Group 1 company. Last sighted setting the fractions for City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse, he looks booked for pace-making duties again.
- Luxembourg, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Wayne Lordan – Admirable five-year-old who has scored four times at the highest level, including in this year's Coronation Cup at Epsom. He benefitted from an excellent Ryan Moore ride that day but won’t have his assistance here and finished an eight length fourth in the 2023 edition.
- Middle Earth, Trainer: John & Thady Gosden, Jockey: Oisin Murphy – Son of Roaring Lion who remains lightly raced for a four-year-old. Having won twice over 1m6f, there’s no doubting his stamina, but he came up short in his only previous Group 1 outing and finished third in Group 2 company at this track last time out. That said, there may be more to come, and he could pick up the pieces if they go hard out in front.
- Rebel’s Romance, Trainer: Charlie Appleby, Jockey: William Buick – Group 1 winner in Germany, the United States, Dubai, and Hong Kong, this son of Dubawi is one of the international superstars in the Charlie Appleby yard. At home over this trip and on good or quicker ground, he’s a big player in his first domestic Group 1.
- Bluestocking, Trainer: Ralph Beckett, Jockey: Rossa Ryan – The only filly in the field endured a frustrating 2023 campaign. Second in the Haras De Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial Stakes, Irish Oaks, tote Stand Cup Stakes, and Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes – the phrase always the bridesmaid and never the bride sprung to mind. Fast forward to 2024, and she appears to have taken a significant step forward. Two from two this season, she arrives on the back of a first career Group 1 triumph in the Pretty Polly Stakes.
- Sunway, Trainer: David Menusier, Jockey: James Doyle – This Group 1 winning juvenile has yet to hit those heights as a three-year-old but hasn’t been far away. He produced his best effort yet when coming with a late rattle to grab second behind Los Angeles last time out in the Irish Derby. Likely to be suited by a strongly run race, he is an interesting contender at a double-figure price.
Recommended Bets
At his best, August Rodin probably is the one to beat here. However, having bombed out in two of his five starts over this distance, he doesn’t look great value at around the 6/4 mark.
Rebel’s Romance is a more appealing proposition at 7/2 with bet365. Last sighted winning a decent Group 1 in Hong Kong, it is his effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic which stands out here. Whilst favoured by the pace set up that day, it was still a fine effort to see off a talented field, including Emily Upjohn and Japanese stars Shahryar and Liberty Island, with Augustin Rodin spitting the dummy out to finish last of 12.
In receipt of the fillies allowance, the bang-in-form Bluestockings should go well, but the best each-way option is the only three-year-old in the line-up, Sunway. This talented son of Galiway may have given Los Angeles a fright had he kicked a little earlier in the Irish Derby, looks the sort to stay 1m6f in time, and, with Hans Anderson likely to ensure a good gallop, should be ideally suited by the set up of this.
Recommended Bet: Rebel’s Romance to win @ 7/2 with bet365
Recommended Bet: Sunway each way @ 14/1 with Betfred
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
