King George: Westover & Emily Upjohn to meet at Ascot

King George: Westover & Emily Upjohn to meet at Ascot

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Westover wins the Irish Derby at the Curragh
Westover won the Irish Derby by seven lengths
Venue: Ascot Racecourse Date: Saturday 23 July Time: 15:35 BST
Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

Irish Derby winner Westover and Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn are among six runners set for Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

The race also boasts three-time Group One victor Mishriff and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe champion Torquator Tasso.

Royal Ascot winner Broome and Pyledriver, who was second in the Coronation Cup after last year’s success at Epsom, complete the line-up.

Frankie Dettori rides Emily Upjohn for trainers John and Thady Gosden.

Dettori is seeking a first Group One victory since his short-lived “sabbatical” and subsequent reunion with the Gosdens after he was criticised for some rides at Royal Ascot last month.

Emily Upjohn missed her scheduled run in the Irish Oaks after travel complications blamed on an aeroplane hitting a bird.

Stablemate Mishriff, second to Adayar in the 2021 King George, will be ridden by James Doyle after it was announced last week that David Egan will no longer ride as retained jockey to owner Prince Faisal.

There were no withdrawals at Thursday’s declaration stage.

The King George is a midsummer highlight of the Flat racing season with the three-year-olds of the Classic generation, such as Westover and Emily Upjohn, meeting older rivals.

Ralph Beckett’s colt Westover routed the field in the Irish Derby at the Curragh earlier this month, having finished a luckless third in the Derby at Epsom.

A rematch with his Epsom conqueror Desert Crown looked to be on the cards before the Derby winner was withdrawn after a setback.

Broome is Aidan O’Brien’s sole representative and was last seen winning the Hardwicke Stakes over the course and distance at Royal Ascot.

Torquator Tasso, a five-year-old trained by Marcel Weiss, was a shock winner of the Arc at ParisLongchamp in October.

Weiss is happy to give him the chance to follow Danedream and Novellist, who claimed King George glory for Germany in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

“After the Arc we worked out a plan for this year and it was a wish of the owner to go to Ascot before going back to the Arc,” he said.

“Danedream also won the Arc and then the King George for Germany, which tells you that you can try to do it and you can win.”

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