Saturday’s (29 July) G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) is being billed as not only the strongest version of this mid-summer Ascot championship for many years, but also potentially the UK race of the season.

Official ratings tell some of the story with just 5lb separating the top seven horses of the eleven declared contenders. Adding more flavour, Aidan O’Brien’s super athlete Auguste Rodin and the Roger Varian-trained  King Of Steel – the two best middle-distance colts of the Classic generation – face the last three winners of Epsom’s G1 Coronation Cup (2405m) – Emily Upjohn, Hukum, and Pyledriver.

This trio are currently delivering fearsome performances, as is last year’s G1 Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) winner Luxembourg, along with Westover who landed this month’s G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2400m) in record time.

Last month at Epsom Auguste Rodin was produced by Ryan Moore with a whirlwind late challenge to nail King Of Steel (Kevin Stott) by half a length in the G1 Derby Stakes (2405m), before claiming another Classic victory in this month’s G1 Irish Derby (2400m) at The Curragh.

Many trainers would have been delighted to see their 66-1 outsider finishing second in the great Epsom Classic but speaking from his 200-horse stable at Newmarket, Varian recalls that Epsom Classic afternoon for King Of Steel rather differently: “King Of Steel came through horses as if they were virtually standing still. I was crestfallen, gutted when Auguste Rodin ran us down.”

It was a very different emotion that the 44-year-old trainer experienced as he reflected on King Of Steel’s subsequently stylish victory in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes (2392m) at Royal Ascot: “It was both a relief and a delight that he confirmed the promise of his Epsom run.”

As far as Saturday’s spectacular is concerned, Varian said: “It is a fantastic race this year, very deep. I have the greatest respect for the older horses especially Hukum, Emily Upjohn and Westover but I really like our horse.”

With slow ground on the Ascot agenda, optimism has swayed towards Hukum who gained his tenth career victory when repelling the 2022 Epsom Derby winner Desert Crown in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes (1990m) at Sandown in May.

Trainer Owen Burrows said of Jim Crowley’s mount: “We were in a pocket and I was sure that Desert Crown was going to win, but our horse found some extra boot. I think he showed that day that he is better than ever.”

Referring to Saturday Burrows says: “I welcome the fact that it is the best King George for years but of course that won’t make it any easier for us.”

Seemingly less concerned about the quality of the opposition is William Muir, joint-trainer of the hugely popular Pyledriver whose many achievements include finishing second in the 2021 LONGINES G1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and winning the King George as an 18-1 outsider last year. Returning 336 days later and again ridden by Patrick McDonald, he bravely outclassed his rivals in last month’s G2 Hardwicke Stakes (2392m) at Royal Ascot.

Muir said: “Pyledriver was only 75% for Royal Ascot. He has really hardened up since and I would say he is between 10lb and 12lb better. If he runs like he did last year I don’t care who his rivals are he will take some beating.”