Global Weekly Preview - 22.07.16

Critics are already circling Ascot's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, ready to go on the attack. Like vultures, they are looking for their morsel of flesh.

But I feel they may be premature in their attempts to verbally downgrade one of the fixtures of the British summer racing season. This is a G1 race that still serves as an important signpost in assessing horses in the top echelon.

Sure, there is nothing of the calibre of Shergar, Dancing Brave, Nashwan or Montjeu these days, but younger horses on the upward climb are never far away.

It is a shame Postponed cannot have a crack at becoming a dual winner of the King George.
Following a setback, he now eyes the G1 Juddmonte International at York, where he could meet Godolphin's Hawkbill.

But you will remember that when Postponed won 12 months ago, he was still a 'new boy.' Now he is one of the top three horses in Europe, and I like to think it was the King George that propelled him into the limelight.

In his absence, Her Majesty The Queen's Dartmouth is ready to clinch his first G1 victory. He had Highland Reel in second when he landed the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, and the rider of the latter dropped his whip in transit.

Even so, meeting on level terms again, I still favour Dartmouth to beat Highland Reel. The French visitor Erupt has the class to make his mark, while Wings Of Desire, the sole representative of the Classic generation, has not run since finishing fourth in the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom and may well have plenty of improvement in him.

Watch out for two Godolphin runners of note on an interesting card - Folkswood in the Woodford Reserve Handicap and Flash Fire in the Gigaset International.

At Newmarket (UK), the promising Van Der Decken comes up against the smart Broken Stones and two others in the six-furlongs Conditions Stakes.