Ratings Update: King George produces a princely pair

Ascot

The King George was billed as a potential match race between the Sir Michael Stoute pair of Poet’s Word (up 3 lb to 132) and Crystal Ocean (remains on 130, loses p) and it proved to be the case, with the pair pulling well clear of the remainder of the field. What the race lacked in depth, missing the likes of Cracksman, Enable and Masar and providing generally substandard opposition, it made up for as a spectacle, with the first two providing a thrilling climax to the middle-distance highlight of the summer.

Poet’s Word made his Group 1 breakthrough when humbling Cracksman to take the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in June, and he was able to follow up here under a confident ride from James Doyle, picking up the lead in the final half-furlong and holding on gamely. It was a top-class performance, and he will be a leading contender wherever he goes, be it the Irish Champion or the Champion Stakes.

👑 Poet's Word wins the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at @Ascot! 👑

Michael Stoute with a 1-2 and a record sixth King George!

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— ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 28, 2018

Crystal Ocean suffered his first defeat of the season, but lost nothing in doing so, producing a top-class performance himself in defeat. He has plenty of options for the rest of the season over this distance and shorter (entered in the International and Irish Champion), though the Arc seems the most obvious fit for him; he too will be a leading contender wherever he is sent.

The two-year-old fillies kicked off the action at Ascot on Saturday with the Princess Margaret Stakes, and it proved to be a straight forward success for Angel’s Hideaway (up 6 lb to 103), with most of the seven-strong field looking well short of the standard usually required, and the promising once-raced Scintilating (86p from 86P) running below form.

Angel’s Hideaway arrived as the only runner to have run in a pattern race previously, and it showed, finding improvement in a slightly easier grade to run out a clear-cut winner. It was a useful performance, though she would need more to overturn the Duchess of Cambridge form with Pretty Pollyanna, should they clash in the Lowther.

The second race on the card, the Porsche Handicap, proved to be something of a mini-Britannia, with six of the 15-runner field having run at Ascot last month, and the strong market support for Crack On Crack On (up 1 lb to 106)proved to be justified. He was down the field last time, but wasted no time getting back to form under a determined ride from Adam Kirby, off the bridle before most but finding plenty to lead inside the final half furlong. He’s most progressive and should continue to give a good account.

We were treated to an exceptional renewal of the International Stakes, a handicap that was so high on both quality and quantity. At least half a dozen can count themselves unlucky not to have won, it was Burnt Sugar (up 2 lb to 113) who came out on top, completing a notable double having taken the Bunbury Cup at Newbury a fortnight ago. It’s remarkable how smoothly things have gone for him in-running considering the fields, again not meeting any trouble when so many others did, and this proved to be a career-best performance, with his will to win shining through.

Burnt Sugar adds the Gigaset International Stakes at @Ascot to his Bunbury Cup victory!

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— ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 28, 2018

Several in-behind Burnt Sugar were noteworthy, including the runner-up Arbalet (up 7 lb to 114) who produced a huge effort for a three-year-old, with his performance touching Group 3 standard – backing up his effort to finish fifth in the Jersey Stakes. Ripp Orf (up 2 lb to 104) continued his excellent season to take third and the Victoria Cup winner as now finished out of the frame just once in eleven starts in 2018. This race is likely to prove to be very strong form indeed.

York

Saturday’s opener at York was won for the third straight year by Get Knotted (remains on 104), who produced a borderline smart performance. He heads back to around his highest mark, and could well struggle to add to this success moving forward. Starlight Romance (remains on 99)was granted a small break having disappointed at the end of June and she resumed her progress to finish second, headed only in the final half-furlong. She’s a useful filly with a generally progressive profile, and is one to track.

The Sky Bet Dash proved to be less competitive than it had promised, and it was dominated by the Tim Easterby pair of Flying Pursuit (up 14 lb to 112) and Golden Apollo (up 3 lb to 111). Flying Pursuit had dropped 9 lb since the turn of the year and produced his best effort of the season to win the race for the second year running. He won't be handicapped out of things now he's re-found his form and is one to follow, as is Golden Apollo, who should be winning before long on this evidence.

The feature was the Group 2 York Stakes, and it produced an exciting three-way finish, though the fact that the runner-up Brorocco (up 11 lb to 116) was seemingly exposed on a BHA mark of 95 tells you that this was one of the lesser renewals of the race. The winner Thundering Blue (up 4 lb to 117) had been threatening in high-end handicaps of late, and for all that he is a credit to his connections, he could now prove hard to place with this under his belt. Elarqam (remains on 118) was a well-backed favourite, and for all that he failed to justify market support he got back on track from his disappointing run in the Irish 2000 Guineas. He still has time on his side (his dam thrived well into her three-year-old season).