'He'll stay well and the ground should be no problem' - King George V Handicap key quotes and analysis

Last year's King George V Handicap resulted in serious praise for winning rider Tom Marquand, who got Desert Hero up in the last stride. Marquand's great coup that day was combining in-the-moment judgement with knowledge of how races on Ascot's round course tend to play out. Punters can learn from both elements.

First of all, Marquand opted not to get involved in the fierce pace battle that some of the other wide-drawn jockeys instigated. Sectionals showed he was wise to do that, as the leaders went much too fast. What is most important in big-field races over 1m4f at Ascot, and what Marquand prioritised, is not getting caught up the inside.

In the last ten runnings of this race, only five horses drawn in stalls one to four have finished in the first four. That is a 13 per cent strike-rate. Meanwhile, eight of the 17 horses drawn 20 or higher have managed the same; a remarkable 47 per cent.

The field is capped at 19 these days, but the point stands that the widest-drawn runners hold a tactical advantage. Those in the widest stalls this year have the sort of profiles you would expect in this race. Most are lightly raced, have middle-distance pedigrees and represent yards known for similar types, many of whom have a sound record in this race.

While he admittedly does not take much finding, it is worth pointing out how much Going The Distance has in his favour. He is well bred and unexposed, has improved with each run and could hardly have won more easily at Kempton in April. He is drawn in stall 18 and trainer Ralph Beckett won this race in 2021. He also has a positive jockey booking in Rossa Ryan, whose stock continues to rise. It is only a matter of time before Ryan has his own Marquand-on-Desert-Hero moment.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

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What they say

Richard Hannon, trainer of Persica
We were looking at several options with him but he saw out the trip well at Epsom last time, so we’re going up to a mile and a half. He’s 9lb higher now but is a progressive colt and hopefully there's still more to come.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Gasper De Lemos, Chantilly, Gallantly and Autumn Winter
Chantilly seems to stay well and we think the step up in trip will suit him. He's a progressive colt and ran well in the London Gold Cup. Gallantly was nicely on top at the line at Chester and seems to stay well too. Gasper De Lemos is another who stays well and seems to have been in good form since Navan. We think Autumn Winter will come forward from his reappearance at Leopardstown.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Going The Distance, City Burglar and Poniros
It was a nice comeback at Kempton for Going The Distance. He'll stay well and the ground should be no problem. City Burglar has already shown a liking for Ascot and is bred for the trip. The ground should be fine for him too. Poniros was second in the London Gold Cup and the step up to a mile and a half should suit him well.

Donnacha O'Brien, trainer of Naval Force
This has been the plan since he won at Roscommon. He's working well and the track and trip should suit him, so we're hopeful of a good run.

William Haggas, trainer of Gilded Water
The handicapper didn't miss his win at Chepstow but he's a nice horse who I hope is progressing and I think he'll be fine over a mile and a half.

George Boughey, trainer of Fouroneohfever
He's a big, scopey horse who's possibly going to get further. He travels strongly and has quite a nice draw out wide. I couldn't be much happier with him.

Richard Hughes, trainer of Kamboo
I'm really looking forward to him. He's come on a lot for his run at Epsom and has a good chance off a decent mark.

Roger Varian, trainer of French Duke
He's still a bit of a baby who'll lack a bit of experience in the field but he'll love the trip and the ground. Whether he's up to this now I'm not sure, but he's definitely a horse with a future.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Neski Sherelski
He's trained well since his last run. The course and distance should suit him well, but he's been given an outside draw in stall 19, which will make things difficult for him.

William Muir, joint-trainer of Go Daddy
He got hampered in the London Gold Cup, which cost him a bit of ground, and we've been waiting for this race to step up in trip, which we think will benefit him. In my opinion he's not a 40-1 outsider.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Highland Bling
He has progressed with every run. It was nice to see him get his head in front at Fairyhouse last time and hopefully he can run well.
Reporting by Lewis Porteous

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