Saturday’s Horse Racing Tips: Tom Collins is taking on the three-year-olds in the King George
By Tom Collins
Latest Horse Racing Odds27 July 2023
The 72nd renewal of the Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes, which will be held at Ascot on Saturday, has been billed as the biggest race of the season so far. I certainly wouldn’t argue against that lofty claim.
Britain’s most prestigious middle-distance contest will play host to the first major clash between our leading three-year-olds and older horses as Derby winner and runner-up, Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, face off against Group 1 winners Hukum, Emily Upjohn, Luxembourg and last year’s victor, Pyledriver.
With all six runners mentioned boasting current official ratings in excess of 120, this is not a race where you can completely discount some of the market protagonists - they are way too consistent and talented to be merely written off. In fact, strong opinions in general seem pretty irrational given the small margins that separate the equine superstars in question.
Nevertheless, this game is all about individual viewpoints and I’m sure that plenty of punters will side with either of this year’s Derby runners on the basis that they receive 11lb from their elders and have the potential for further improvement.
Both Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel have form on soft ground and this track shouldn’t pose an issue for either, but I’m not convinced that we’ve witnessed an above-average group from the Classic generation this year so I’m going to look elsewhere.
Although 17 of the last 21 winners of this race have been three- or four-year-olds, I’ll be backing Hukum to continue the good recent run of older horses (four of the last five winners). Owen Burrows’ gelding has been underappreciated throughout his career despite owning a strike-rate of 10 wins from 16 starts. Perhaps that’s due to injuries or the fact the majority of his races haven’t come at the top level.
Despite being six, Hukum is still improving and has posted back-to-back career-best displays. His breakthrough Group 1 victory in the Coronation Cup proved that he has Pyledriver’s measure, while I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to deny the well-ridden Desert Crown last time in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.
Hukum has a wicked turn of foot and an abundance of stamina - the perfect combination - while owning solid course-and-distance form (including a victory on soft). Given his enticing draw and the presence of Aidan O’Brien pacemakers in the line-up, he should also receive an ideal stalking trip. I’ll take him at 4/1 to upset his younger rivals on the Ascot turf.
Unfortunately a couple of my stronger fancies at York were taken out at the final declaration stage, so there’s only one more selection in this column. The horse in question is Tiffany, a three-year-old filly on the up who should take plenty of beating in the Aveika Apprentice Handicap (2.00) at Newcastle.
This daughter of Farhh came to hand slightly earlier than most Sir Mark Prescott-trained projects as she won a novice event at the third attempt. Tiffany was sent off 22/1 that day, so it wasn’t exactly expected, but it was no fluke either and the form has received big boosts from Nigiri (third) and Isle Of Jura (fourth) in the last week.
Tiffany was handed an opening mark of 72, but unfortunately her handicap debut was cut short as the race was void following an injured rider on the track. But she made up for that anti-climax with a gutsy victory at Windsor just six days later.
Morgan Cole, who claims 5lb and has impressed me recently, takes the mount, meaning she can race off 1lb lower than for her Windsor success. I expect she will continue her upward trajectory now that she’s switched to the all-weather.