The King George V Stakes is a handicap run over 1m4f. It takes place at 15:05 on Thursday 19th June, which is the third day of Royal Ascot 2025. View the runners here, and also make sure to check out the odds and tips on offer for this race.

NO.DRAW
FORM

HORSE

ODDS

JOCKEY& TRAINER

AGE

WGT

RPR

14⁽³⁾

2-1443

Pantile Warrior

J: Robert Havlin

T: John & Thady Gosden

9-1

105

His eight runs have yielded one win, in a 1m2f AW maiden in March; on last two outings he showed he stays 1m4f at York (behind Merchant) and 14.5f at Doncaster (hooded) but he needs to find more and faces a ton of rivals who are far less exposed.

6⁽¹⁷⁾

531-1

Sing Us A Song

J: James Doyle

T: Ralph Beckett

9-6

105

Irish Derby entry; scraped home at Goodwood (1m2f, heavy) last September and raised his game to follow up in clearcut style in a 12-runner handicap at Sandown (1m2f, good; made most) on return; changed hands since; up 7lb but pedigree and performance suggest strongly that a move up to 1m4f will suit, just as it did for the stable's winners of this race in 2021 and 2024.

16⁽¹⁹⁾

-12312

Lightening Mann

J: Edward Greatrex

T: Jack Channon

8-13

104

Bang there in 1m2f handicaps on last four starts, winning by a neck at Newmarket on third occasion and beaten by a neck when front-running on latest (both on good to firm); while that might suggest he's a bit exposed, the latest race was the London Gold Cup at Newbury, always a strong contest, and it looks like 1m4f will suit him.

18⁽¹¹⁾

224-12

Grecian Legacy

J: Jim Crowley

T: Daniel & Claire Kubler

8-12

104

Won handicap at Goodwood (1m2f, good) in May in taking fashion from the rear; last to first in a nine-runner handicap at Epsom (1m2f, good to soft) 12 days ago but another strong finisher sentenced him in the dying strides to his fourth second place from six outings; up another 4lb and not crying out as loudly for 1m4f as some of today's rivals.

10⁽¹⁰⁾

1-231

Gunship

J: Oisin Murphy

T: James Ferguson

9-3

106

Two wins and placed both starts in between; favourite for handicap/turf debut at Sandown (1m2f, good) in April but found himself with far too much to do against Sing Us A Song and made good late inroads to be third of 12; built on that with a Newcastle win (1m2f, AW) and, judged on the Sandown run in particular, looks a tempting proposition for 1m4f.

8⁽²⁰⁾

721-31

Merchant

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

9-4

106

Favourite for his two handicaps this season, both on good to firm and the win was never in doubt through the last 3f at York last time on his step up to 1m4f; 8lb rise demands more from him but he was impressive at York and the form has been boosted; Group 1 King George entry here next month.

5⁽²¹⁾

421-1

Serious Contender

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O'Brien

9-6

103

Big-race entries; won a maiden at Leopardstown (1m, soft) final 2yo start; always close up to justify favouritism again in a 16-runner handicap at same track (1m2f, good; unraced on firmer) on return, working his way to the front late on as Light As Air flashed home for a close second; needs further improvement but likely to stay; one of three for Aidan O'Brien.

2⁽²⁾

44-12

Nautical Force

J: Ben Coen

T: J P Murtagh

9-8

Won a Cork maiden (soft) on return and ran well when the runner-up that day made the most of a weights concession from him at Roscommon (good) over three weeks later, both at about 10.5f; likely to stay and has had just four races but he needs to raise his game again for this handicap debut.

12⁽¹⁵⁾

33-23

Light As Air

J: Wayne Lordan

T: A P O'Brien

9-3

101

Has big-race entries; his four races have resulted in one second and three thirds; got stuck in traffic in a handicap at Leopardstown on reappearance and finished strongly to run stablemate Serious Contender to half a length; he did not build significantly on that, however, when close third at Navan (again 1m2f on good) and now sports cheekpieces; half-brother to St Leger winner Continuous; one of three in this from his top stable.

13⁽¹⁸⁾

5-27

The Cursor

J: Rob Hornby

T: Andrew Balding

9-1

103

Well-bred maiden who went down by a neck at Doncaster (1m2f, good to soft) and appeared to show better form in Listed race at Epsom (1m2f, good) in April, albeit finishing last of seven; unexposed but also plenty to prove.

11⁽⁹⁾

7-21

Propose

J: Sean Levey

T: A P O'Brien

9-3

102

One of three runners for Aidan O'Brien; runner-up at Dundalk (10.5f, AW) on return and went one better when 8-13 in another maiden at the Curragh (1m2f, good) two months later, comfortably in the end but he was pushed along over 3f out; has many a big-race entry and brings clear potential, plus probable stamina, to this handicap debut.

1⁽¹³⁾

1-71

Masai Moon

J: William Buick

T: Charlie Appleby

9-9

102

Newmarket Listed race (1m1f, good to soft; 7-1) in April saw him tailed off, but he'd earlier won his only 2yo start (AW) and went on to score at Nottingham (1m2f, good) this May in another novice; 6-4 favourite in the latter but looked an unlikely winner at one stage before battling back to see off three challengers headed by Boatswain; gelded three days later and that performance suggests that 1m4f for this handicap debut will suit him well.

4⁽²²⁾

3-12

Daiquiri Bay

J: Rossa Ryan

T: Alan King

9-7

102

Well-backed winner of a maiden at Chester, coming from off the pace to score by 5l; beaten at evens in a Doncaster novice (again about 1m2f on good) 13 days ago but by only a neck and it was a creditable effort; dam won at up to 2m and he shapes as if stepping up to 1m4f will suit him well.

9⁽¹⁶⁾

3-321

Omni Man

J: Dylan Browne McMonagle

T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

9-4

100

Marked improver through his four maiden races; it was just a four-runner race when he won at Roscommon (10.5f, good; unraced on firmer) one month ago but he surged nearly 8l clear from the odds-on favourite and the third was beaten a nose next time; this handicap debut is a very different scenario but he's getting the hang of things and 1m4f looks plausible.

15⁽⁸⁾

4-231

Ammes

J: Silvestre De Sousa

T: James Owen

9-0

102

Second on second start (1m2f, AW) looks his best form but he seems to have got 1m4f okay on both outings since (good ground); landed odds of 8-15 in a two-runner novice at Chepstow on latest, in workmanlike style but the runner-up has won since; cheekpieces go on for this demanding handicap debut.

19⁽⁴⁾

5-3243

Waterford Flow

J: Jamie Spencer

T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

8-10

104

Had three AW runs over the winter and two on turf (soft/good) this spring but still no win; Nautical Force finished ahead in those last two outings (10.5f); needs to show something new on this handicap debut and he's not so stoutly bred as some of these.

3⁽¹⁾

122

Boatswain

J: Mickael Barzalona

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

9-8

102

Impressive debut at Lingfield (AW) in January and lost out oh so narrowly in further 1m2f novice events at Nottingham (good; against Masai Moon, hung left in front) and Leicester (good to firm); mounted such a powerful finish last time that 1m4f has to be well worth a go on today's handicap debut.

7⁽¹²⁾

134

Chess Dad

J: Hollie Doyle

T: Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole

9-5

101

Has run in three novice events, winning at Newcastle (1m, AW) on debut in January; bang there at Newmarket and fourth to Masai Moon at Nottingham (again 1m2f on good) was creditable; granddam was Oaks winner and he also shapes as if improvement is likely at 1m4f; handicap debut.

17⁽⁵⁾

221

Mafting

J: Daniel Tudhope

T: David O'Meara

8-13

103

Closely related to very smart Secret Advisor; made debut in late April; short-priced favourite on all three starts, travelling best on first two occasions but failing to get the job done; put that right by a neck when front-running at 4-7 in a Redcar maiden (1m2f, good to firm) but that's no great recommendation for this red-hot race on handicap debut.

RACING POST TIP

Sing Us A Song

Aidan O'Brien runs three, with Ryan Moore taking the ride on Serious Contender, and they have to be respected, of course, but the trainer has won this race only once, in 2019, and there is so much potential among the rest of this field. Ralph Beckett sent out the winner in 2021 and 2024 and he may well come up trumps again, this time with SING US A SONG whose Sandown win looked such an encouraging preparation. He has stall 17 but lots of winners of this race have come from high draws. Gunship caught the eye behind the selection at Sandown and is feared most, with Masai Moon and Merchant completing the shortlist.

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Year	Horse [Draw]	Age	Weight	SP	Trainer	Jockey
2024	Going the Distance [18]	3	9-2	9/1	Ralph Beckett	Rossa Ryan
2023	Desert Hero [21]	3	8-13	18/1	William Haggas	Tom Marquand
2022	Pyledriver [4]	5	9-9	18/1	William Muir & Chris Grassick	P J McDonald
2021	Adayar [4]	3	8-10	9/4	Charlie Appleby	William Buick
2020	Enable [3]	6	9-4	4/9F	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2019	Enable [11]	5	9-4	8/15F	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2018	Poet’s Word [8]	5	9-7	7/4	Sir Michael Stoute	James Doyle
2017	Enable [7]	3	8-7	5/4F	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2016	Highland Reel [3]	4	9-7	13/8F	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2015	Postponed [9]	4	9-7	6/1	Luca Cumani	Andrea Atzeni
2014	Taghrooda [7]	3	8-6	7/2	John Gosden	Paul Hanagan

Key race stats 2024

Key trends

Officially rated between 88 and 95, 10/10
Top-two finish last time, 9/10 (seven won)
Carried no more than 9st 1lb, 7/10
Previously contested a handicap, 8/10 (six won one)
Won earlier in the season, 8/10
Drawn in double figures, 7/10

Other factors

The Johnston yard has had six winners since 1995.

Only one winner had previously scored over the trip.

What happened in the King George V Stakes last year?

Smart horses often emerge from this three-year-old handicap and Merchant looked a potential top notcher when justifying favouritism for William Haggas and owners Highclere. Merchant was successful at the Dante meeting at York the previous month and looked a Group horse in the making when staying on best for a length success under Tom Marquand at the royal meeting. 2023 King George winner Hukum (2020), and St Leger third Desert Hero (2023) feature on this race’s honour roll.

King George V Stakes

15:05 Royal Ascot

RACING POST TIP

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Key race stats 2024

What happened in the King George V Stakes last year?

All Races