Auguste Rodin leads a competitive field of nine contenders for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot this Saturday.
After a disappointing performance in this race last year, despite having won the Derby and its Irish counterpart, he made a strong return to form by claiming the Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Auguste Rodin was last seen victorious in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and is expected to be the favourite as he returns to Berkshire this weekend.
Joining him is his stablemate Luxembourg, winner of the Coronation Cup, along with Hans Anderson, while O’Brien has opted not to include St Leger winner Continuous and Point Lonsdale in his lineup.
Among the notable challengers is Rebel’s Romance, trained by Charlie Appleby and a past winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf. He also boasts victories in the Dubai Sheema Classic—where Auguste Rodin finished behind him—and Hong Kong's Champions & Chater Cup.
Ralph Beckett's top filly Bluestocking will also compete, having secured her first Group One victory in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
David Menuisier’s Sunway, who was the runner-up in the Irish Derby, represents the three-year-old cohort, while French breeder Francis-Henri Graffard sends Goliath, who was second in the Hardwicke Stakes.
Further illustrating the Hardwicke form is Middle Earth, finishing third for John and Thady Gosden, while William Haggas will saddle Dubai Honour, winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Middle Earth, owned in part by Qatar Racing, has the potential to exceed his previous performances, according to racing manager David Redvers. He expressed optimism about the horse’s prospects for the King George following a challenging run at Ascot.