King George showdown between Take Cover and Muthmir still on

The latest Qatar King George Stakes collision between Take Cover and Muthmir remains on after the pair headed 13 acceptors for the Group 2 sprint at Glorious Goodwood on Friday.

Take Cover leads 2-1 over Goodwood's flying five furlongs having won last year and in 2014, with Muthmir beating the David Griffiths traliblazer in 2015.

Battaash, a revelation in two romps at Sandown this year, Profitable and Marsha - second and third to Lady Aurelia in the King's Stand - head the opposition.

Glass Office, who was in the July Cup until declaration time, was added at a cost of £15,000 to the possible line-up at a meeting owner Fitri Hay likes having runners at, underlined by her total of 27 entries over the five days.

Royal Ascot's Britannia Handicap winner Bless Him was the most notable absentee among the ante-post favourites from the 50 left in the Betfred Mile.

The three-year-old, like his contemporaries, was unlikely to get a place in the 22-runner field and Qatar Racing's colt is likely to run in the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes - also on Friday - with trainer David Simcock adding "as long as the ground is not too soft".

Belgian Bill, the 2015 Betfred Mile winner who was fourth last year, is guaranteed a fifth run in the race, with Here Comes When, who holds a Qipco Sussex Stakes entry, topping the weights ahead of Royal Hunt Cup winner Zhui Feng.

Seamus Buckley, Goodwood's clerk of the course, said on Saturday: "We've had a dry 12 hours up until lunchtime, when it started to drizzle after 16mm in the previous 24 hours. I've walked the track, and in the straight it's on the easier side of good, but around the back and outer loop it's good ground."

With rain forecast to move away from Sunday, with a dry week forecast, Buckley added: "We're happy where we are as it dries very quickly with the chalk base and I think we'll start off on the slower side of good."

Friday's Goodwood card