Spencer offered Ascot ride on Argentinian star Sixties Song

Jamie Spencer may have to brush up on his Spanish after being offered the ride on Argentinian pioneer Sixties Song in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.

Sixties Song, set to become a rare South American-trained runner at the Berkshire track, will be tackling the likes of Highland Reel and possibly Eclipse winner Ulysses after touching down in Stansted on Sunday morning following a 13-hour flight from Buenos Aries.

The four-year-old, trained by leading Argentinian handler Alfredo Dassie, was invited to run at Ascot after winning the prestigious Group 1 Gran Premio Latinoamerico – South America’s most important race – in Chile on March 5. He has since finished third in a Grade 1 on heavy ground at San Isidro in Buenos Aires.

Dassie and his assistant Lucas Gaitan were in Newmarket last month to check out the area for their hope, who is a 50-1 chance with most bookmakers and is to be stabled at Jane Chapple-Hyam's yard at Abington Place.

Gaitan said: "We didn't expect Sixties Song to win as well as he did in Chile last time, but it's nice to be invited. Most of our tracks are left-handed in South America and we've been training him to go the other way recently."

Niall Hannity, Spencer's agent, said on Wednesday: "The owners rang this morning and offered Jamie the ride on Sixties Song and hopefully he'll be able to take up the offer. It's a bold move coming over here and hopefully he can run well and put South America on the racing map over here."

There is no decision yet from Sir Michael Stoute over whether Ulysses, general second favourite behind Highland Reel, will take his chance in the King George. But stablemate Dartmouth is set to line up, with Olivier Peslier already booked to ride last year’s third.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes entries