'A King George for the ages' - Tom Segal is excited about an epic Ascot showdown

When I was little, a long time ago, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was the race of the year every year. The Derby winners would all come, take on the best older horses and invariably beat them. The Arc wasn't even on the TV and it was an end-of-season afterthought, but then along came the Breeders' Cup and trainers started to avoid the King George to keep their horses fresh for the autumn in Paris and the States.

Each to their own and you can call me xenophobic if you want but I much preferred it the way it used to be. Not least because I got to see the best British and Irish horses taking each other on in the flesh, on a great track and invariably on decent ground. I suppose if I had ever been to the Arc or the Breeders' Cup, I might think differently but I never have and never will, so I for one am delighted to potentially see a King George for the ages this weekend.

I can't remember the best two horses from the last two Epsom Derbys taking each other on in any race, yet that is what could well be in store at Ascot with Desert Crown and Westover locking horns with Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel. Then there are the last three winners of the Coronation Cup in Hukum, Pyledriver and Emily Upiohn, an Irish Champion Stakes winner in Luxembourg and one of the best middle-distance horses in France in Simca Mille.

PJ McDonald: bids for a King George repeatCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

A classic contest is in prospect and hopefully it won't be in part ruined by the weather. If the ground was to turn really soft, a few of those mentioned would be doubtful runners but hopefully it won't get too bad.

As for who is going to win it, the three-year-olds historically have a good record in these all-aged races at this time of the season but they don't normally take on a cast of older horses this strong. My heart hopes Pyledriver can continue his love affair with Ascot but there has to be a chance he might bounce on his second run back after a long layoff.

Emily Upjohn ran a shocker in the race last year and so did Westover, which makes me think Hukum might be the one to beat among the older horses. Having said that, Desert Crown left his chin out to be hit when Hukum beat him at Sandown and he'll be ridden with much more restraint this time.

As for the three-year-olds, I backed King Of Steel straight after his win over course and distance last month but I was expecting a normal King George, not one for the ages.

Last word has to go to Auguste Rodin, who may attempt to add his name to a list of all-time greats by winning the Derby, Irish Derby and King George. On what he showed at the Curragh he's no Nijinsky, Shergar, Troy, Generous, Grundy, The Minstrel or Galileo but he looked brilliant at Epsom. If he could beat all these older horses, he'll deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as those hall of famers.

Relief Rally looks a top performer

Just because it's a race for horses who didn't cost a king's ransom, I tend to get a bit snobby about the Weatherbys Super Sprint. Usually I don't really give it much thought before, during and after it has been run and I certainly didn't pay too much attention to it before the race on Saturday.

However, the during and after were much more interesting than normal because I thought Relief Rally put up the best performance by any two-year-old filly in Britain and Ireland this season and she is surely going to take a lot of beating wherever she turns up.

William Haggas seemed to prefer the Lowther option to the Nunthorpe and that makes sense, especially as the way she hits the line strongly suggests six furlongs will be right in her wheelhouse.

In France Christopher Head's Ramatuelle looked superb when winning the Prix Robert Papin and if she and Relief Rally were to rock up in the Cheveley Park, that really would be a race to savour.

Read more . . .

2023 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes: assessing the top contenders for the Group 1 at Ascot on Saturday 

Who will win the 2023 King George based on previous trends? 

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