King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes Runner-by-Runner Guide: Romance in the air at Ascot

• Expect a small field and drying weather

• Auguste Rodin heads the betting

• Rebel's Romance is the horse to back

Ryan Moore Superboost

Betfair Ambassador Ryan Moore rides the strong favourite Auguste Rodin in today's feature race, the Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 15:40.

A six-time Group 1 winner including the Epsom Derby and Breeders' Cup Turf, Auguste Rodin has won three anf finished second once in four of his last five starts and if you fancy him to finish in the first two again today you can back him at the super-boosted price of 11/102.11 (from 2/51.40) by clicking on the odds below to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

Listen to Racing Only Bettor for Saturday's tips...

According to the Met Office, the outlook is dry, with temperatures set to reach 26 degrees. This ensures that the already good ground will be on the fast side, with good to firm ground expected on Saturday.

Nineteen runners entered before Monday's noon first confirmation stage, and 11 stand their ground but expect that to whittle down again, with Aidan O'Brien holding five of those.

Auguste Rodin 5/42.25

Auguste Rodin heads the market at this early stage following a desperate victory over ten furlongs in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, and he will bid to give Aidan O'Brien his first win in the race since Highland Reel in 2016. Unsurprisingly, master-class rider Ryan Moore had him well-placed to score at Ascot. The runner-up Zarakem and third Horizon Dore were a shade unlucky, having to come from further back than ideal.

Surprisingly, the connections of those who finished behind him at the Royal meeting didn't fancy another crack, and today, he is tasked with an entirely different field of opposition. That opposition looks weak, though, and the move back up to 1m4f and the potential fast, good-to-firm ground see his record read 111. Ideal conditions make him a worthy favourite.

Auguste Rodin is no stranger to running a shocker (like in this race last year), so he wouldn't be the type of horse I would like to get stuck into at a short price, but his place at the head of the market is fully justified.

Rebel's Romance 10/34.33

Before Monday's noon confirmations, the Sportsbook looked to duck the globe-trotting sensation Rebel's Romance at 3/14.00 with as big as 9/25.50 knocking around. The six-year-old arrives after two Group 1 victories, the latest 62 days ago in Sha Tin. He was previously an excellent winner in Meydan in the Sheema Classic, while Auguste Rodin (finished 12/12) failed to give his actual running there and a line through the second suggests they are closely matched on a going day.

Rebel's Romance won his last British start at Kempton in December 2023 over Elegant Man and in July 2022 at Glorious Goodwood over Kemari. That British form will need to be improved to tough this out, but he is a strong stayer at this 1m4f trip and in career-best form with optimal conditions. He must be a big player.

Bluestocking 5/16.00

Bluestocking is the only filly in the line up, and she was impressive when running down Emily Upjohn over ten furlongs at the Curragh to land the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. The third gave that form a slight boost by finishing a narrow second in the Irish Oaks next time. Still, that level of form is well below what is required to take on the boys, but she is improving fast and is entirely unexposed at this 1m4f trip, which she has yet to move up to this season.

She will appreciate this stiffer test and was an unlucky third on her only run at the track on fast ground in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last year. She is open to improvement, arrives in excellent form and looks like a big each-way player.

Sunway 10/111.00

Adayar, Enable, and Taghrooda are the only three-year-olds to win this race in the past ten years, and all proved exceptional horses. Sunway doesn't fall into that category, but he is honest and will stay further than this 1m4f trip on the evidence of his latest Irish Derby second to Los Angeles. That was his first crack on good ground this season, having been campaigned in France. The slight concern is that a trainer campaigning a three-year-old in France says (to me) they are looking for softer options to grab a Group victory. That's not been the case for Sunway this term, as he has fallen short in Group 3 company.

Still, his latest effort at the Curragh was a career-best on the figures, and he landed a Group 1 as a two-year-old on his final start of the season, suggesting he does improve throughout the year. This is a gigantic ask, but he is improving and unexposed on a sounder surface, and you would have to like how well he travelled through the Irish Derby despite being unfavourably positioned at the rear of the field.

Trainer David Menuisier is an exceptional judge, and his persistence with this horse could pay off sooner rather than later. Now that connections know he has no issue with the trip, a return to more forward tactics could pay off.

Very interesting.

Middle Earth 10/111.00

Middle Earth took his first backwards step at Royal Ascot last time but was held up well off the gallop after he broke sluggishly in a slowly run affair, so perhaps a line can be put through that effort. He is a four-year-old, and we have yet to see the best of him, but his future certainly is over further than this, and he will need a strong pace to aim at if the same tactics are to be deployed.

He is not one to write off, though, following a Newbury victory that has worked out very well. He is a horse that is seen to best effect when stamina is to the fore. He must be of interest with an improving profile at a likely big price should the race have plenty of pace.

Luxembourg 11/112.00

Luxembourg was given an outstanding ride at Epsom to win the Group 1 Coronation Cup, and his rider Ryan Moore took advantage of the lack of pace in the small field event in May to hold on at the finish over Hamish (who has since disappointed). It was said that his main market rival on that occasion, Emily Upjohn, was lacking fitness, and she finished well beaten, so it's hard to take that form seriously.

Still, he is unexposed at 1m4f and hasn't had too many tries on fast ground. It may be that the son of Camelot is coming into his own at the age of five, and despite being well held in this race last year, this looks like a weaker renewal.

He is interesting, will likely be ridden forward, and will have no excuses when push comes to shove. The feeling is he will find stronger stayers here.

Dubai Honour 22/123.00

William Haggas' six-year-old Dubai Honour has enjoyed success in Australia at this level and now in France, having won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud 27 days ago.

However, having fallen well below the required level in Britain several times, it is tough to be confident about his chances despite his lightly raced profile during this middle-distance trip. Fast ground has to be another concern with his rounded action, so he is passed over but expected to show up well.

Goliath 33/134.00

Goliath was flattered by his second at the Royal meeting, always well positioned in a steadily run race, and his overall form means he needs a career-best by some margin to land this.

Hans Andersen 10/111.00

Hans Andersen is impossible to fancy from a win perspective, and pacemaker duties are likely on the agenda should he line up.

King George VI Verdict

This is a good renewal but not the best we have seen. According to the market, Auguste Rodin is the likely Ballydoyle representative and looks to have been well placed. You can be sure he will be given an excellent and well-positioned ride, but whether he is on a going day is another matter. Still, his profile suggests he is a force under these conditions, and this is not the deepest Group 1 he has contested. At 6/52.20, he is probably the correct price despite his past antics.

Rebel's Romance 10/34.33 will be the horse many flock to as a valid alternative to take on this favourite. He is a possible pace angle in the race but may get hassled for the lead. However, he has won by sitting off the gallop in the past (Kempton), so William Buick will be aware of this threat.

He is very solid. His form is excellent abroad, and he has improved throughout his career. He will love the fast ground, and he has won off a break and beaten the favourite--there's plenty to like. He makes the most appeal; I make him more of a 9/43.25 chance.

Middle Earth undoubtedly wants further than this, and if his antics coming out of the stalls are repeated, he will find himself with a challenging task at the rear of the field. Still, should he line up, Oisin Murphy will do everything he can to keep him on his toes if his comments following his latest run are anything to go by. He looks more like a cup horse to my eye, but he will at least be coming home strongly over this trip, and perhaps he is the E/W play to take advantage of the three places.

Bluestocking and Sunway could be the other two to focus on from an each-way betting perspective. Sunway holds fair claims granted this stiff stamina test.

Rebel's Romance at 10/34.33 is the most appealing candidate. Whichever way you play, I hope this has helped.

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