'He could be favourite' - Hukum clipped again for King George with forecast showers to be in his favour

The prospect of unsettled weather at Ascot in the coming days could mean Hukum troubles star three-year-olds Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes favouritism, layers suggested on Sunday.

Saturday's championship is shaping up to be one of the races of the summer with Derby 1-2 Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel due to line up, as well as classy filly Emily Upjohn, last year's Epsom hero Desert Crown and Pyledriver, who won the £1.25 million race 12 months ago.

Hukum, trained in Lambourn by Owen Burrows, has long had the race on his agenda, but missed the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot because the ground was too quick.

That will not be the case on King George day as showers (3mm) are expected on Monday, while 7-10mm could fall on Wednesday into Thursday.

Blustery conditions are also forecast on Friday and Saturday, according to Ascot's clerk of the course Chris Stickels, who described the ground as good to soft, soft in places on Sunday.

Anyone backing Hukum, who produced a career-best when beating Desert Crown in May's Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown, will welcome that outlook and he was again trimmed for the King George on Sunday when Coral went 9-2 (from 5-1).

Their betting has Auguste Rodin as the 5-2 market leader, ahead of 3-1 chance King Of Steel and Emily Upjohn, who can be backed at 7-2, but the firm's David Stevens said: "There's plenty of rain around in the forecast for the week ahead, which can only be a positive for Hukum's chances in what promises to be a top-class King George, and it's not impossible to envisage the six-year-old shortening further in the coming days, and even challenging for big-race favouritism."

A top-level winner of last year's Coronation Cup, Hukum is a brother to last year's European champion Baaeed and was reckoned to be at the peak of his powers by those closest to him after that Sandown success.

His record with the word soft in the going description reads 1131 and Paddy Power's Paul Binfield said on Sunday: "We cut Hukum [to 4-1] for King George glory today with the weather looking perfect for a horse who likes to get his toe in.

“King Of Steel has now usurped his Epsom conqueror Auguste Rodin as favourite, but it’s very possible Hukum will come in for further support during the week and, looking at the forecast, I wouldn’t be amazed if he was vying for favouritism come the off."

Ascot also races on Friday and Stickels, speaking just before 12.30pm on Sunday, said: "The forecast is unsettled and we're good to soft, soft in places after 12mm of rain yesterday. The forecast contains only the odd shower until late Wednesday into Thursday. I imagine the track will improve a bit before Thursday, but then that rain will ease it up again.

"It's hard to know how it will play out, but I expect it to dry out before Thursday and then, if that forecast is accurate, to soften up again. The word soft is in the going description now, so it's quite possible it will be on raceday – it wouldn't be a surprise.

"I'm very happy with the way the track is. It's been an unsettled July and conditions are probably a bit easier than where we'd be normally be at this time of year."

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (3.40 Ascot, Saturday)

Paddy Power:  11-4 King Of Steel, 100-30 Auguste Rodin, 4 Emily Upjohn, Hukum, 11-2 Desert Crown, 6 Pyledriver, 12 Luxembourg, 20 bar 

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