King George Stakes 2012

4.35 Ascot

King George Vi And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored By Betfair) (British Champions Series) (Group 1) (Class 1)  (3YO plus)

Winner £567,100

Advice: 5 pts win Sea Moon (3/1 general)

Brown Panther: Made huge progression from handicaps into Group company, announcing himself when romping away with 2011 King George handicap but confirming himself group class on next 3 occasions, one of which was his Leger third last year (ahead of Sea Mooon but lucky to be so); Back to best after disappointing seasonal debut when easy listed winner latest but expected to be outclassed here.

Dunaden: Crowned fine season with exceptional double in Melbourne Cup and Hong Kong Vase last year, and has run much better than results suggests on all there starts this year, being given far much to do in strongly contested group events including Hardwicke last time; Clear run and strong pace will see big show but doubt he’d have beaten Sea Moon and others preferred.

Masked Marvel: Emphatic winner of St Leger last year after maturing rapidly from June onwards but not seen best of his this season, being unsuited by ground that was too soft on seasonal debut and was smashed by St Nicholas Abbey in Coronation Cup last time out; Possible he didn’t like track but shouldn’t be reversing form and clear second string of albeit in form Gosden stable.

Nathaniel: Game winner of this last year at the peak of his upward curve when helped by race panning out in his own fashion for all he was tremendously game at the finish; Seemed like 10 furlongs not his best trip when only fifth in Champion Stakes on last start of last year but confounded all expectations when landing Coral Eclipse from the front in career best effort on seasonal debut; Massive chance given step up in trip and improvement from that run (assuming it’s not left his mark having been just two weeks ago).

Reliable Man: World looked his oyster when landing Prix Du Jockey Club last year and then asserting class in Prix Niel, but not been at the same level since; Best run of this season when fourth in Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, having stayed on late for fourth in manner that suggests this trip will see best of him; Still got a lot to prove and this is stronger race.

Robin Hood: Pacemaker for St Nicholas Abbey.

Sea Moon: Always shaped as horse of great potential and eight length Group 2 romp at York was backed up by third in St Ledger and second at Breeders Cup in manner that suggested he’d improve from last season to this in manner of that so many from this yard have over the past years; Listed win below expectations but career best in the Hardwicke was one of the most impressive performances of Royal Ascot and it promised more to come as well; Feeling that he has exceptional performance in him and major player here if that's the case. 

St Nicholas Abbey: Recaptured the spark that so many had seen from him as 2 year old when empathic winner of Breeders Cup Turf (Sea Moon in second) last season and if anything, even better when close runner up to Cirrus Des Aigles in Dubai Sheema Classic on seasonal debut and then backed that up with empathic defending if title in Coronation Cup, coming home in own time (Red Cadeaux 4 and a half lengths behind in second), form is amongst the best here; Behind Nathaniel and well beaten third in this last year but pace far too slow then and believe that he’s a better horse now; Main worry for many is that he’s supposedly better going left handed although there are excuses for those defeats and big chance.

Danedream: Shock but superb winner of Arc last year, smashing course record when beating top class field by 5 lengths; Not been seen at best in three runs since, although valid excuses for all three defeats even allowing for the fact she flopped big time latest; Strong pace around a track such as Ascot could see her back to best in which case 10/1 an insult but bit to prove.

Deep Brilliante: Found more to repel several rivals when wining Japanese Derby in bunch finish (out on his feet at the finish having made big move from front of the pack); Clearly extremely talented but worry that he’s very headstrong and likes to follow the pace/kick early which is sure to demand a lot of his energy; Respected that he travels all the way here but this asks a lot of him and others more appeal.

VERDICT: One of the best races of the summer and the best recent renewals of this race in recent memory, with the winners of last year’s King George, Arc, Breeders’ Cup Turf, St Leger, Melbourne Cup, Hong Kong Vase, French Derby and this year’s Eclipse, Coronation Cup and Japanese Derby in attendance. Some doubted the victory which Nathaniel gained in this last year and his Champion Stakes win only went to further those thoughts but his Eclipse win proves he’s a top class animal and with John Gosden and William Buick in such awesome form, along with the step up in trip sure to benefit him, he has to take the beating. St Nicholas Abbey, third in this last year, has drifted in recent days but his paper claims are pretty strong and he deserve to be one of the top three heading the betting, with a slow pace at the heart of his low showing last year. The worry for him is that 5 of his career defeats have come around a right-handed bend, but two of those can be attributed to pace, one to fitness, and the other two to ground that really did not suit him, so he deserves to be given a big chance here. He may struggle to confirm form with SEA MOON from the Breeders Cup though, and this might be the stage where Sir Michael Stoute’s horse announces himself a world class talent. A hugely promising colt last season, he was ridden badly in the St Leger when third and didn’t enjoy the firm ground when second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, so both runs can be upgraded. He may have performed below expectations on his return at Goodwood but his Hardwicke effort (where he smashed Dunaden, clear run or no clear run) even when was that of a Group 1 winner in waiting and with more to come possibly, he makes outstanding appeal for a yard that has landed this race 5 times (including a 1-2-3 in the 2008 renewal), 4 times with 4 year olds. Of the others (a sign of how good this race is when they include an Arc, St Leger and Prix Du Jockey Club) Dandream makes most appeal with a strong gallop sure to help.