Racing Preview: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was first run in 1951 and over the decades has been won by some of the great racehorses. Previous winners of the prestigious race include: Nijinsky (1970), Mill Reef (1971), Troy (1979), and Galileo (2001). Dahlia (1973, 1974) and Swain (1997, 1998) are the only two horses to have won the race twice.

The winner of the 2013 running of the race will collect just over GB£ 600,000 and the French-trained Cirrus Des Aigles is the favourite to win. The gelding has run twice at Ascot before, winning the Qipco Champions Stakes in 2011 and was beaten in the same race a year later by Frankel by one and three-quarter lengths.

Speaking after defeat to Frankel last year, Cirrus Des Aigles’ trainer Corine Barande-Barbe said: "They were very close. We lost two lengths but we'll be better next year!”

The seven-year-old has only run once since that defeat in October 2012, when fifth and well beaten in the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud in late June 2013. Andreas Wohler’s Novellist won the race and lines up against Cirrus Des Aigles again on Saturday.

Jim Bolger’s Irish Derby winner Trading Leather is also in the eight-strong field, as is Sir Michael Stoute’s Hillstar, who was supplemented for the race earlier in the week. The colt was the winner of the King Edward VII Stakes over course and distance at the Royal Ascot meeting last month.

The shape of Saturday’s race changed suddenly on Tuesday morning when St Nicholas Abbey was injured on the gallops in preparation for the race. The fractured leg has ended the colt’s racing career and he underwent surgery on Wednesday to try and save him for a career at stud.

The consequence for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is that Cirrus Des Aigles is now clear of his rivals on official ratings. But he will have to overcome the trend that a horse aged older than four has not won this race since Daylami in 1999 and no horse aged seven has ever won the race.

Race Day Betting: Investec Derby

Throughout the month of May Dawn Approach shortened in price for the Investec Epsom Derby by doing nothing more than sitting in his stable as his various rivals went through their paces on the racecourse.

Jim Bolger’s colt went even money after the Dante Stakes at York, when no runner immediately impressed with a strong performance in a race that has been a good guide to the Derby.

Dawn Approach is currently 6/4 favourite but that is too short a price for a horse whose stamina over 12 furlongs around Epsom is not assured. His sire New Approach did win the Derby, as did his grand-sire Galileo, but the stamina concerns come more from his dam side, which has more sprinting in the breeding than staying.

In addition, Jim Bolger was not overly enthusiastic about going for the Derby with Dawn Approach earlier in season. The trainer argues that the horse’s class and demeanour will enable him to see out the Derby trip.

Having such a short-priced favourite does mean there are some bigger prices to be had further down the field.

If stamina is the key to Derby success, then the only horse to have competed over the Derby distance is Ruler Of The World. Aidan O’Brien’s charge won the Group 3 Chester Vase and prior to that won a maiden race over 10 furlongs at the Curragh.

It was only a small field at Chester but Ruler Of The World, who is sired by Derby winner Galileo, did still look good. He handled the Chester course and saw out the trip well, with a definite burst of speed in the final half furlong.

Ruler Of The World is available at 8/1 for the Derby with Skybet.

Racing Preview: Epsom Derby

The Investec Derby is a Group 1 Classic race run over 1 mile 4 furlongs round Epsom. In 2013 the winner will collect just over £780,000 in prize money.

Since 2001 trainers Aidan O’Brien and Sir Michael Stoute have each won three Derbys, the former most recently in 2012 with Camelot (8/13 f).

One of the most startling images or recent Derby history is that of jockey Mickael Barzalona standing up in the saddle and celebrating victory on Pour Moi a few strides before he passed the winning post. The winning distance was a head!

Two former Derby winners dominate the 2013 renewal through their offspring: Galileo (2001) and New Approach (2008). They have sired seven of the 12 runners in the race.

Throughout the month of May Dawn Approach has been like the prize gladiator just waiting in the wings as his rivals fight it out in the arena. Dawn Approach won the 2000 Guineas impressively early in the month and it was then up to his rivals to match his standard in the various trials races. From a betting perspective none of the rivals impressed the bookmakers, as Dawn Approach shortened in price without leaving his stable. The fact that the likes of Telescope were ruled out of the race also compounded this effect.

The Irish trainers have a strong hand in the 2013 Derby. As well as the strong favourite in Dawn Approach (Jim Bolger), Aidan O’Brien saddles five runners and David Wachman has interesting outsider Galileo Rock.

Libertarian, winner of the Dante Stakes at York, represents the main contender for the home contingent.

Each year, and 2013 is no different, the major Derby imponderables are whether or not a particular runner will handle the Epsom track and will it stay the distance?

Newmarket Qipco Guineas Meeting Review

The firm ground ensured some fast times were recorded by several winners over the two days of the Qipco Guineas meeting at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course.

Sole Power (7/2 jf), trained by Edward Lynam, powered to a time of 57 seconds for the five furlongs in the Group 3 Pearl Bloodstock Palace House Stakes.

Kevin Ryan’s Hamza (5/1 jf) was simply too quick for his rivals in the six furlong Harbour Watch Handicap and he made every yard of the running under Neil Callan to win by 2 ¾ lengths in a time of 1 minute 10 seconds.

The trainer was also delighted by the run of Glory Awaits, who finished second at 150/1 in the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

There was a celestial connection in the names of the Guineas winners with Dawn Approach (Jim Bolger) winning the 2000 Guineas and Sky Lantern (Richard Hannon) the 1000 Guineas. Sky Lantern’s victory gave jockey Richard Hughes with his first British Classic winner.

Aidan O’Brien’s Moth finished third in the 1000 Guineas, showing on the racecourse some of the potential connections knew she had. As a result, the Galileo filly is now just 7/2 for the Epsom Oaks at the end of May.

Mark Johnston’s Windhoek looks a fine horse and is now unbeaten in three races after taking the Listed Qatar Racing Newmarket Stakes. The colt was successful in the 200,000 Tattersalls Millions 3-Y-O Trophy over the same course and distance in April. The colt holds an entry for the Betfred Dante Stakes at York in a couple of weeks, as well as for the King Edward VII Stakes (Royal Ascot) and Sandown's Coral-Eclipse in July.

The appropriately named Talent won the Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies. Ralph Beckett’s filly is sired by New Approach and could certainly be one to follow during the season. She holds entries in the Epsom Oaks (Group 1), the Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2 ) at Royal Ascot, and the Irish Oaks (Group 1).

Dawn Approach Wins Qipco 2000 Guineas

Dawn Approach gave Godolphin some good news after weeks of bad headlines by winning the 205th running of the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Glory Awaits and Leitir Mor blasted out of the gates and took the field along at a good pace with Toronado and Dawn Approach behind the two front runners.

The two market leaders took it up as they entered the dip but Toronado could not find the turn of foot he had shown at the Craven Meeting. Dawn Approach surged well clear of the field to win by five lengths.

Glory Awaits clung on to second place at 150/1 under Jamie Spencer, with Van Der Neer coming through for third (20/1) for the Hannon team under William Buick. Toronado finished in fourth place (11/4).

Speaking on Channel 4 Racing afterwards Richard Hannon Jnr said of Toronado's performance that it was "very disappointing" and that the colt "didn't come home as we'd hoped".

Jim Bolger, meanwhile, said of any decision to go for the Epsom Derby with Dawn Approach that they would "sleep on it" and see how the winner was after his exertions in the 2000 Guineas. But the trainer added that he would be "happy to go for it [the Derby]" if that is what Sheikh Mohammed wanted.