International field of 12 on tap for King George

The winners of such Group 1 races as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Melbourne

Cup, Japan Derby, Coronation Cup and Eclipse are among 12 acceptors for a truly

international King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The betting market for the Group 1, £1 million contest is headed by St

Nicholas Abbey, a wide-margin winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom, and runaway

Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes hero Sea Moon.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of St Nicholas Abbey, has also engaged Windsor Palace

and Robin Hood while John Gosden could be double-handed with Eclipse winner

Nathaniel and last year's Group 1 St Leger hero Masked Marvel.

Last year's Arc heroine Danedream could have her first start in Britain in

the 1 1/2-mile race. Following her victory in Paris, Peter Schiergen's star

finished sixth in the Grade 1 Japan Cup and returned this season with an easy

win at Baden-Baden.

She then returned to France for the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud but

could only manage fourth to Meandre. Schiergen believes there were excuses that

day and expects a bold display this weekend.

"Nothing went right for her at Saint-Cloud," her trainer commented. "They

went very slow early on and that didn't suit. She prefers a strong gallop and

that is usually what you get in England. Everything has gone well since her last

race.

"Soft ground would not bother her at all. She handles it very well indeed, so

if it was very soft that would not change anything."

Michael Owen's Brown Panther and Japanese star Deep Brillante are other

interesting entries along with Melbourne Cup hero Dunaden and the Alain de

Royer-Dupre pair of Reliable Man and Shareta.

In other major action this weekend, the Group 1, €400,000 Irish Oaks will be

contested over 1 1/2 miles at the Curragh on Sunday.

Dermot Weld, who is bidding for third win in the classic, saddles Princess

Highway. The Moyglare Stud-owned filly booked her place with a six-length romp

in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, beating Group 1 Epsom Oaks

third The Fugue.

Weld said: "She's in good form and she's all set. We'd like the weather to

pick up because she's a filly with a lot pace, but she handled that ground on

the day at Ascot and she's very adaptable.

"It would be lovely and be our third time if we could win it. Classics are

hard to win and they don't come easy, so we are well aware of that." 

At the Curragh on Saturday we could see the long-awaited return of another

Australian champion, Starspangledbanner, in the Group 3 Minstrel Stakes, run

over seven furlongs.

In 2010, Starspangledbanner won the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal

Ascot and the Group 1 July Cup before finishing second in the Group 1 Nunthorpe.

The son of Choisir was then retired to stud but reported fertility problems have

seen him return to Ballydoyle and join O'Brien once more, this time as a

six-year-old.

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