Taghrooda seeking rare Oaks-King George double

Taghrooda would be only the second Oaks winner to capture the King George VI

& Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the same year if successful at Ascot on Saturday.

The three-year-old filly, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, trained by John Gosden

and likely to be ridden by the owner's retained jockey Paul Hanagan, is out to

follow in the footsteps of Pawneese who won the fillies' classic at Epsom Downs

by five lengths before a length victory over Bruni in 1976.

Another Oaks winner has been successful in the 12-furlong King George, but

Time Charter's triumph came a year after (1983) her Epsom victory.

Sheikh Hamdan, successful with Nashwan in 1989, is seeking a second King

George success, while Gosden has enjoyed one winner (Nathaniel in 2011) from six

runners. Hanagan is due to have his first mount in the King George.

There have been seven successes for fillies and mares in the King George. The

only other three-year-old filly, besides Pawneese, to succeed was Dahlia in

1973. Dahlia won the race again in 1974, while the other female scorers were

Danedream (2012), Park Top (1969) and Aunt Edith (1966).

A total of 56 fillies and mares have taken part in the King George, with Look

Here (sixth in 2009) the last Oaks winner to attempt the double.

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Britain's top middle-distance race,

is being run for the 64th time. Three-year-olds and four-year-olds have both

been successful 28 times, while five-year-olds have won six renewals and one

six-year-old has been victorious.

Brown Panther, part owned by Michael Owen and trained by Tom Dascombe, is the

only six-year-old still engaged this year, while there are two five-year-olds --

the William Haggas-trained Mukhadram, another owned by Sheikh Hamdan, who was

successful in the Eclipse Stakes last time out, and the Lady Cecil-trained Noble

Mission who runs in Khalid Abdullah's famous colors.

The winner of the Eclipse has gone on to victory 12 times (in the same year)

in the King George, though none has triumphed at Ascot since Opera House in

1993. The others to do the Eclipse-King George double in the same year were

Tulyar (1952), Ballymoss (1958), Busted (1967), Royal Palace (1968), Mill Reef

(1971), Brigadier Gerard (1972), Ela-Mana-Mou (1980), Kalaglow (1982), Dancing

Brave (1986), Mtoto (1988) and Nashwan (1989).

Noble Mission gained his first Group 1 victory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at

the Curragh earlier this year and three winners of the Irish race have won the

King George in the same year -- Montjeu (2000), Hurricane Run (2006) and Duke of

Marmalade (2008).

Six four-year-olds are headed by Telescope, owned by the Wavertree Syndicate

of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by

Ryan Moore, who was the impressive seven-length winner of the Hardwicke Stakes

over the same course and distance at Royal Ascot. Another Highclere horse,

Harbinger, also trained by Sir Michael, took the 2010 Hardwicke in terrific

style and then won the King George by a record margin of 11 lengths next time

out.

Among those with entries this year, Sir Michael is the most successful

trainer in the King George, with five victories from 35 runners. Harbinger was

the latest of them, with the others being Conduit (2009), Golan (2002), Opera

House (1993) and Shergar (1981). Moore was successful on Conduit (from seven

rides in the race).

Godolphin is going for a sixth King George victory with the Jim

Bolger-trained Trading Leather, who was second last year, after success with

Doyen (2004), Daylami (1999), Swain (1997-98) and Lammtarra (1995). Irish-based

Bolger, who also trains likely pacemaker Leitir Mor, has had one King George

success -- St Jovite in 1992 -- from three runners.

Michael Tabor, part-owner of Magician and Hall of Mirrors who are both

trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien, is also after a sixth King George win,

following on from Duke of Marmalade (2008), Dylan Thomas (2007), Hurricane Run

(2006), Galileo (2001) and Montjeu (2000).

There have been 11 Irish-trained winners of the King George, with O'Brien

sending out three of them (Duke Of Marmalade, Dylan Thomas and Galileo). French

raiders have succeeded 10 times and there is one potential runner this year, the

Andre Fabre-trained and Abdullah-owned Flintshire. Fabre has had one King George

winner from seven runners -- Hurricane Run.

The two other three-year-olds, besides Taghrooda, among the 12 horses going

forward at Monday's five-day stage are supplementary entry Eagle Top, who won

Royal Ascot's King Edward VII Stakes for owner Lady Bamford in good style on

only his third start, and Romsdal, who races for Princess Haya of Jordan and

finished third in the Derby last time out. Both are trained by Gosden, who is

responsible for the three three-year-olds in the 2014 King George which is now

worth £1,065,000.

Eagle Top is aiming to be the third King George winner who also took the King

Edward VII in the same year. The two to achieve this double have been Nathaniel

(2011) and Supreme Court (1951).

"This is what the King George is all about -- a classic-winning

three-year-old and up-and-coming Royal Ascot winner of that generation taking on

the very best of the older horses, headed by Telescope, who has all the

hallmarks of being another Harbinger for the same team after his Hardwicke

Stakes win," said Nick Smith, Ascot's Head of Communications and International

Racing.

"To have Mukhadram, the Eclipse winner, in there too, and the likes of

Flintshire and Noble Mission as possibles, makes this one of the most exciting

renewals of Europe's premier midsummer race for some time."

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