When Rebel’s Romance surged past front-running Moments In Time early in the Sha Tin straight before stretching to a two length victory over Five G Patch in May’s 2400m Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup – the last Group 1 of the Hong Kong season – it was hard to argue with the course commentator’s portrayal of him as a ‘globetrotting equine superstar.’

The fact that the dynamic six-year-old gelding has never won a Group 1 at home in the UK is surely only because he has never run in one but that may well be rectified in Ascot’s mid-summer spectacular – Saturday’s (27 July) King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m).

Newmarket trained by Charlie Appleby the Godolphin-owned gelding is actually unbeaten in five starts in the UK but this will be his first domestic start on turf in almost two years; overseas is where his real glory has been executed, winning Group 1s –  before that Hong Kong triumph-  in Dubai, Germany and the USA and not forgetting his capture of a hugely valuable 2400m prize in Qatar earlier this year.

Speaking at Sandown on Thursday (25 July) – where he rode a winner – William Buick who has ridden Rebel’s Romance to eleven of his 13 career wins said: “It’s a little bit hard to measure him up against some of the horses here but it is great that he now has a chance to prove himself in a Group 1 in the UK and add to his already glittering CV.” It was raining as Buick was speaking and he added: “I’m hoping for as little rain as possible at Ascot as a quick surface would be ideal for us.”

His eight rivals include the extraordinarily enigmatic Auguste Rodin who has been beaten a long way in three of his last nine starts – the worst being in this race last year – but boasts a massive six career Group/Grade 1 victories including an authoritative performance in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (1993m) at Royal Ascot last month.

Auguste Rodin’s trainer Aidan O’Brien was completely surprised by those debacles but does think that the son of Deep Impact has become less complicated than he once was including his observation that: “He doesn’t mind being closer to the pace now,”  a comment that suggests that although he has Hans Andersen (Sean Levey) as an expected pacemaker as well as the stable’s hugely talented four-times Group 1 winner Luxembourg (Wayne Lordan) in opposition Ryan Moore is unlikely to position Auguste Rodin too far from the speed.

Bluestocking is the sole filly, maturing into a really effective performer this year and the way she gathered momentum in the long straight at the Curragh when landing her first Group 1 in last month’s Pretty Polly Stakes (2000m) was eyecatching. Sole three-year-old is Sunway (James Doyle) who has a healthy weight-for-age edge and posted a clear personal best when a fast-finishing second in last month’s G1 Irish Derby (2400m) at the Curragh, and lone French contender is Goliath who could become a giant-killer on Saturday if he gets the brisk pace that trainer Francis Graffard insists will bring out the best side of the Christophe Soumillon-ridden gelding.