King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Tips

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of the major contests of the year open to both three year olds and older performers. Read on for the best odds, offers and betting tips surrounding one of Ascot’s most prestigious events. Alternatively take a look at all of our racing free bets!

First run at Ascot in 1951 this 1m4f Group 1 contest now offers £1,150,000 in total prize money and regularly attracts a high class international field and is the last big race before Glorious Goodwood gets underway.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Tips and Betting Offers, 3:40 at Ascot, 27th July 2019

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of the most high profile Group 1 races of the year. Traditionally, this is one of the first chances for high class three-year-olds to take on their elders over 1 mile 4 furlongs which is generally regarded as the trip that sets apart the very best flat racing horses.

Enable’s Arc Preparations Continue

Over the years, three-year-olds have found it increasingly difficult to win the King George. It takes a performance of the utmost class and experience beyond their years for any member of the Classic generation to win this. Class and experience is the perfect way to characterise Enable’s King George win of two years ago.

John Gosden’s charge followed up wins in both the English and Irish Oaks with an emphatic win in the 2017 King George. Racing fans were already clear by that time that we had something special on our hands in Enable but things were only about to get better.

Enable ended her three-year-old season with victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. She then delighte racing fans by returning for next season where she successfully defended her Arc title and won the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in 2018.

It’s all systems go for a third straight Arc win. Enable returned to action after a well-deserved race to get the better of Magical in the Coral-Eclipse. She’ll face more high class rivals at Ascot on Saturday but the bookies are confident enough of the same result to make Enable the odds-on favourite.

Just How Good is Anthony Van Dyck?

The Epsom Derby is one of the biggest prizes in flat racing but the winner of the Classic doesn’t always go on to have the best career out of his competitiors. Connections of Anthony Van Dyck are more than hopeful that his win at Epsom at the start of June will be one of many but he failed to win the Irish Derby so does have something to prove in the eyes of some racing fans.

Getting the win over Enable would certainly prove Anthony Van Dyck’s class beyond any doubt. That will almost certainly prove too much for Aidan O’Brien’s charge colt but he may well be able to finish the best of the rest. The bookies are paying out three places so the presence of Crystal Ocean shouldn’t cause too much of concern for those backing Anthony Van Dyck each way at 8/1 with Betfred.

Betting Predictions

Everything went to plan for Enable on her seasonal reappearance. She benefitted from an excellent ride from Frankie Dettori to strike for home at just the right time and was never going to be caught from then. Punters and bookies alike are expecting more of the same in the King George when she returns to her favoured distance of one and a half miles so make sure to have her on board at a best price of 8/13 with BetVictor.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Previous Winners

  • 2018 – Poet’s Word – jockey James Doyle, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
  • 2017 – Enable – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer John Gosden
  • 2016 – Highland Reel – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2015 – Postponed – jockey Andrea Atzeni, trainer Luca Cumani
  • 2014 – Taghrooda – jockey Paul Hanagan, trainer John Gosden
  • 2013 – Novellist – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Andreas Woher
  • 2012 – Danedream – jockey Andrasch Starke, trainer Peter Schiergen
  • 2011 – Nathaniel – jockey William Buick, trainer John Gosden
  • 2010 – Harbinger – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
  • 2009 – Conduit – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
  • 2008 – Duke of MArmalade – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2007 – Dylan Thomas – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2006 – Hurricane Run – jockey Christophe Soumillon, trainer André Fabre

Race History

The race which has become Britain’s premier all-age contested is actually the result of two earlier events run at this Berkshire venue being merged into one. In an effort to create a mile and a half contest which would appeal on an international scale, a two mile race named in honour of King George VI and a race over this trip given its title in homage to Queen Elizabeth were scrapped and replaced by the contest we know and love today.

The first edition in 1951 was won by the King Edward VII Stakes and Chester Vase winner Supreme Court. However, it didn’t take too long until some true greats of the racing game began to leave their hoof-prints in the history books here.

The 1952 and 1953 editions were taken by the Derby winners Tulyar and Pinza respectively. Then in 1954 Queen Elizabeth II achieved one of her finest moments in racing as Aureole came home in front in the race named after her parents.

The great dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Ribot and Irish superstar Ballymoss followed in 1956 and 1958 in what was an excellent opening decade for the race.

The Golden Era?

Rarely can such brilliance have been crammed into a five year period to rival than that which we witnessed here between 1970 and 1974. Nijinsky’s win to open the decade was followed by Mill Reef in 1971, Brigadier Gerard in 1972 and the brilliant filly Dahlia in both 1973 and 1974. Racing immortals one and all.

In 1975 the race produced a truly unforgettable instalment as Grundy only just mastered Bustino in a truly titanic tussle. There were many epic battles at the track in the 20th century but it is this clash between the Derby winning Grundy and St Leger hero Bustino which is regularly rated above all others.

In the 80s we had Shergar, Dancing Brave and Nashwan, whilst the 90’s brought us Generous, Lammtara and only the second dual winner of the race Swain. The most memorable victory of the 21st century came in the year 2000. The sensational Montjeu laughed at the opposition in a truly imperious display.

Top Trainers and Jockeys

The legend that is Lester Piggott boasts the most wins here amongst the jockeys with seven victories in total.

Up until the 2018 renewal of this great contest we had a three way tie in the training ranks with Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed Bin Suroor and Dick Hern all sitting on five wins. The brilliant Stoute edged ahead in 2018 though with Poet’s Word’s success taking the Newmarket-based great to six wins.