King George V Stakes: recent winners add intrigue to a red-hot contest

King George V Stakes (Class 2 handicap) | 1m4f, 3yo | ITV/SKY

Always a fiercely contested handicap, and chock-full once again of lightly-raced middle-distance improvers from the top stables.

Two recent winners who get into the contest under 4lb penalties immediately command maximum attention.

Win O'Clock has clearly graduated to handicaps on a favourable mark as he romped home off 75 over 1m2f at Haydock.

The further he went the better he looked that day, and Roger Charlton's colt creeps in towards the foot of the weights under Hollie Doyle.

Charlton has won this race twice with Source Of Light (1992) and Atty Persse (2017), and Win O'Clock could well make it three.

The John Gosden-trained To Nathaniel also picks up a 4lb penalty for his Kempton victory last Monday.

He was less impressive than Win O'Clock, but remains open to further improvement after only four career starts.

Mark Johnston is the trainer with the best record in the race having landed it six times courtesy of Diaghilef (1995), Systematic (2002), Fantastic Love (2003), Linas Selection (2006), Fennell Bay (2012) and Baghdad (2018).

He runs four this time, with three of the quartet – King’s Caper (stall five), Glenties (two) and Trumpet Man (one) – being drawn favourably in low berths.

Johnston runners often lead or sit close to the pace so it's likely that one of that trio could get to the front early.

Glenties, although twice beaten already this season including at Goodwood on Sunday when runner-up to Bright Eyed Eagle, should not be underestimated.

Kipps looks just the type to land a valuable handicap at 1m4f this season, and he's likely to develop into a major player if avoiding the traffic jams from stall 12.

He showed a nice cruising speed on his Haydock reappearance over 1m2f, prior to going down by a nose to Walkonby.

It’s fair to assume that he may just have needed that outing to put a real edge on him and the step up to 1m4f ought to suit.

Bodyline, winner of a 7f Epsom novice event as a two-year-old, is bred to come into his own at middle-distances this year.

The son of Australia was noted doing all his best work towards the finish of a 1m2f handicap at Yarmouth on his reappearance when weak in the market.

It is reasonable to assume ace plotter Sir Mark Prescott has aimed Bodyline at this race for a while, but he's drawn towards the outside in stall 17.

While several recent winners of the King George V have overcome high draws – for instance, Atty Persse (22) and Space Age (20) – common sense dictates it is preferable to be in a single-figure stall on a right-handed track over 1m4f.

The winner of this race is likely to be tackling Listed or Group 3 events in future.

One who has already made an impact at that sort of level is Bright Melody, a highly creditable third to Berlin Tango in Kempton's Classic Trial Stakes.

Bright Melody (royal blue silks) chases home Berlin Tango and King Edward hero Pyledriver in the Classic Trial at Kempton earlier this month

The gelded son of Dubawi is already rated 98 but may progress again on just the third start of his career for the step up to 1m4f, and he must not be left out of calculations.

Race analysis by Richard Birch

What they say

William Haggas, trainer of Convict
He's better with a bit of cut in the ground. He's been training well and is in good shape. He went up a lot for winning a soft race at Newmarket but he should be a better horse at this sort of distance.

John Gosden, trainer of To Nathaniel
It's a quick turnaround as he only won at Kempton last Friday, but that was a competitive handicap for which he has a 4lb penalty. His owner George Strawbridge loves a runner at Royal Ascot.

Roger Charlton, trainer of Win O'Clock
I'm a bit surprised he got in off 79 as normally you need to be about 85. He won nicely at Haydock, although I don't think he beat very much. He has a penalty [4lb] but he's due to go up 9lb, which is a bit ridiculous, so if the handicapper is right we've got 5lb in hand. We'll find out, but it's a different calibre of race.

Brian Meehan, trainer of Arthurian Fable
We were very pleased with him at Newmarket and he looks a progressive horse. This is the ideal race for him, going that little bit further, it will be perfect really. He's come out of Newmarket really well and we couldn't be happier. We are expecting a big run from him.

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